APPLETON, Wis. -- The Lawrence University volleyball team came from two sets down Friday to post a 3-2 Midwest Conference victory over Beloit College at Alexander Gymnasium.
    Lawrence lost the first two sets 27-25 and 25-21, but the Vikings stormed back to win the next three sets 25-18, 25-11, 16-14.
    Hilirie McLaughlin led the Lawrence attack with 17 kills and a .300 hitting percentage, and she picked up five service aces, two blocks and nine digs. Lawrence's Aliana Butler-Gray had 12 kills and was a force at the net with six blocks. Mikala Seymour added 11 kills, two blocks and three digs for the Vikings.  
    Lawrence setter Cora Linos had a huge night for the Vikings with a career-high 41 assists to go with eight kills, 20 digs, two blocks and an ace.
    Kali Pfannerstill led the Vikings with 27 digs and was one of six players to hit double digits in digs. Dana Mestey added 22 digs, Daphne Piotrowski had 16, Bailey Nez added 12 and Taylor Hughes picked up 10. Piotrowski also had three aces and keyed Lawrence's comeback in the final set. 
    In the opening set, Lawrence built a 16-12 lead, and the Vikings were still up 20-17 before Beloit rallied. The Bucs tied it at 20-20, but Lawrence edged out to a 23-21 lead. Beloit scored the next three points before the teams traded points to tie it at 25-25. A Beloit kill and a Lawrence attack error gave the first set to the Bucs 27-25.
    Lawrence trailed 19-13 in the second set, but the Vikings scored eight of the next nine points to grab a 21-20 advantage. The momentum then swung wildly the other way as Beloit scored the next four points to take the set 25-21.
    The Vikings took control early in the third set and built a 15-5 lead. The Bucs closed to 17-12, but a pair of kills from McLaughlin and a Linos service ace helped push Lawrence's lead to 21-12 before the Vikings closed out the set 25-18.
    Lawrence did the same thing in the fourth set as the Vikings raced to an 18-6 advantage. Beloit never got closer than 10 points the rest of the way as Lawrence won the fourth set 25-11. 
    Beloit bounced back in the fifth set and built a 10-5 lead. With a five-point lead and only five points need for the victory, it was looking good for Beloit. Piotrowski stepped up for the Vikings as Lawrence went on a 7-0 run. 
    With Piotrowski serving, the Vikings got kills from McLaughlin and Linos sandwiched around a Beloit error. Piotrowski's ace tied the set at 10-10, and Natalee Kragie's kill put the Vikings up 11-10. Another Piotrowski ace gave Lawrence a 12-10 advantage before Beloit finally stopped the run to trim the lead to 12-11.
    Kills by Kragie and Seymour pushed the Vikings to the brink of victory at 14-11, but Beloit scored the next three points to tie it. McLaughlin powered to back-to-back kills to give Lawrence the final set 16-14 and the match.
    Lawrence returns to action on Saturday when it hosts No. 23 Cornell College.