MARION, Ind. - Grace's volleyball team was knocked out of the Crossroads League Tournament on Saturday, falling to top-seeded Indiana Wesleyan.

The Lancers lost in three sets to the NAIA No. 8-ranked Wildcats (25-4) in the quarterfinals of the CL tourney.

Grace had trouble keeping up with IWU's offense, which amassed 48 kills on a .278 percentage. Grace had 29 kills at a .086 percentage.

Grace fell behind early in the first set, giving up five of the first seven points. But the Lancers quickly recovered, tying the score and eventually going ahead 13-10. Anna Elkin had two kills, and Liz Schmidt aced twice in a row to spark Grace.

Late in the set, Molly Hofmann pounded out two straight kills, and Levyn Snow and Abby Leffring combined on a block as Grace led 20-17.

But the Wildcats roared back, ripping off eight straight points to claim the set 25-20. 

The second set began closely with IWU holding a slight 18-16 edge. But Grace's offense went cold down the stretch, producing just two more points in a seven-point defeat.

In the third set, IWU broke open a 10-10 tie with a 7-1 run. Grace began to generate a rally late in the set with four straight points. Livia Tate had a pair of blocks, which forced a timeout from IWU.

Grace pulled within four at 21-17 after a kill from Elkin. But the Wildcats executed to close out the set, scoring four of the final six points to win 25-19 and advance in the CL Tournament.

Elkin and Hofmann tied for the team lead with eight kills, and Snow added six kills.

Liz Schmidt produced nine digs with two aces, and Olivia Martinez added nine digs.

Carsyn Witt (15 assists, 6 digs) and Reese McCutchan (11 assists, 3 digs) directed Grace's offense.

The Lancers will await a potential berth to the NCCAA National Championships, which are held from Dec. 3-6 in Missouri. Grace is the two-time defending champion for the NCCAA, winning the title in 2023 and 2024.