WILKES-BARRE – The Wilkes University women's volleyball team set multiple career-highs by individual players in a 3-1 loss to King's College in Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom (MAC Freedom) match at the Marts Center on Wednesday evening.

The Colonels are now 1-4 in conference and 16-9 overall.

In set one, both teams went point-for-point until at 6-6 King's began a 3-0 run with two kills and a Wilkes attack error to go up 9-6. After regaining service on an Alex Ferrier (Cressona, PA/Blue Mountain) kill, Juliet Betke (Poplar Grove, IL/Belvidere North) stepped up to the service line and led the Colonels to six consecutive points as Wilkes gained a 13-9 lead. King's cut the lead to 17-15 before Jamey Mikovich (Nesquehoning, PA/Panther Valley), Sierra Smith (Syracuse, NY/West Genesee), and Michele Natale (Kinnelon, NJ/Kinnelon) notched consecutive kills forcing the Monarchs to a timeout trailing 20-15. King's was unable to make up the difference as the Colonels took set one 25-19.

In set two, the Monarchs jumped out to a 3-1 lead with a Wilkes attack error sandwiched in between two kills. King's reached an eight-point lead at 20-12 before the Colonels attempted to erase the deficit, however the Monarchs took the set 25-19.

In the third set, both teams were within three points until King's went up 13-11 and went on a four-point run to take a 17-11 lead. The Monarchs maintained a multi-point lead taking the set 25-17.

King's raced out to a 5-0 lead in the fourth set before Ferrier lined a kill to end the run. The Monarchs lead ballooned to 11-3 before Wilkes took off on a 10-5 run to cut the deficit to 16-13 forcing King's to use a timeout. Smith, Ferrier (2), and Christie Challenger (Schuylkill Haven, PA/Blue Mountain) all got kills on the run. Mikovich and Challenger scored a block and Karlye Huffman (Sugar Run, PA/Wyalusing) secured an ace. The Colonels cut the deficit to just one at 21-20 following a Monarchs attack error, but King's took four-of-five points to end the match.

Ferrier and Mikovich led the Colonels with 16 kills apiece, which was a new career-high for Ferrier, besting her previous high of 15. Natale finished in double figure for kills as well with 10. Betke led the back line with 32 digs to set a new career-high, while Huffman led the passing game with a career-high 49 assists, six short of the single-match high of 55.

Wilkes is idle this weekend, returning to the court on Tuesday when it heads to DeSales for a 7:00 p.m. MAC Freedom contest.