NorthWood Girls Volleyball faced one of its toughest tests of the season Tuesday night, taking on Fort Wayne Carroll, the No. 1-ranked team in the state. The Chargers showed why they have earned that ranking, defeating the Red Slam in straight sets, 25-8, 25-15, 25-6. With the loss, NorthWood moves to 12-9 overall while remaining 4-1 in Northern Lakes Conference play. Ella Branham and Lily Thompson led the NorthWood attack with three kills apiece. Kenzie Miller recorded the Red Slam's lone service ace. Defensively, Nola Nephew finished with a team-high nine digs, while Branham added six. At the net, Addie Davis and Branham each recorded one block. Allie Yoder distributed five assists, with Davis adding three. The evening provided NorthWood an opportunity to compete against elite competition as the Red Slam prepares to return to conference play later this week. At the junior varsity level, Carroll earned a 25-6, 25-15 victory. The NorthWood JV moves to 12-7 overall and 3-2 in NLC play. The freshman Panthers also fell to Carroll in two sets, 25-13, 25-22, battling the Chargers closely in the second set. NorthWood returns to action Thursday, October 1, traveling to Warsaw for an important Northern Lakes Conference matchup. Is this conversation helpful so far?