Sept. 4, 2009

West Texas A&M Box Score
Central Missouri Box Score

DENVER, Colo. - No. 19 Lewis women's volleyball dropped a pair of decisions during the opening day of the Colorado Premier Challenge. Lewis lost a five-set thriller to No. 3 West Texas A&M (25-20, 15-25, 25-17, 20-25, 15-11) and were then swept by No. 12 Central Missouri (25-14, 26-24, 29-27).

"West Texas A&M played a little bit smarter than us in game five," head coach Lorelee Smith said. "Things get tighter in the fifth set when you are going for an upset of a top five team and we just made too many errors."

Against West Texas A&M, junior Lauren Seliga (St. Louis, Mo./Nerinx) recorded a career-high 22 kills with a .311 hitting percentage and 13 digs. Junior Rachel Ruedi (Mahomet, Ill./Mahomet Seymour) totaled 55 assists, 10 digs and six kills. Senior Kim Richards (Evergreen Park, Ill./Mother McAuley) added 10 kills and five blocks (one solo). Senior Sara deBuhr (Urbandale, Iowa/Urbandale) also hit double-digit kills with 11.

"Kim and Sara have both stepped up as leaders from the start," Smith said. "We saw some of that today."

The opening set was tied at 13 until a 7-1 run by West Texas A&M put an end to the Flyers' hopes in the opening frame. Lewis took a quick 9-3 lead in the second set and never looked back. The third set was much like the first, with West Texas A&M taking an 18-10 lead thanks to eight straight points. A 5-0 Lewis stretch in the fourth set gave the Flyers the edge to force a fifth and deciding frame.

The Flyers were within one in the fifth at 7-6 however Lewis could get no closer as West Texas A&M took the match.

Lewis' reward for taking the third ranked team in the country to five games was turning around and playing No. 12 Central Missouri immediately afterwards. The Jennies, playing their first match of the day, ran over Lewis in the opening set thanks to a 10-0 run. However Smith wouldn't cite a lack of energy for the setback to the Jennies.

"We talked before the match that we had to come with energy and I think we did," Smith said. "But again we weren't as clean as we needed to be, we were in the net a couple times and those things add up."

The second set was back and fourth, with Lewis earning set point at 24-23 thanks to a kill by Ruedi. However three straight Central Missouri points put the set in the Jennies' column.

The Flyers looked like they were on their way to a third set win thanks to a 9-1 streak that gave them a 19-14 advantage. However Central Missouri responded with a 10-2 run to take a 24-22 lead. Back came the Flyers though with three straight points. The squads traded points till Central Missouri finally took the set and the match at 29-27.

Redshirt senior Ashlee Lindish (Chicago, Ill./Mother McAuley) had 14 digs. Seliga led Lewis with 11 kills.

Senior Stephanie Sagat (Darien, Ill./Hinsdale South)'s (Darien, Ill./Hinsdale South) 15 kills on the day moved her into third all-time in Lewis history, surpassing AnnMarie Dore's (1987-90) 1,327. Sagat's 1,337 total kills has her just two behind Theresa Nugent's (2003-06) 1,339 for second place in Lewis history.

Lewis falls to 3-3. The Flyers conclude the Colorado Premier Challenge with two matches on Saturday. Opponents will be determined by the outcome of the remaining contests on Friday.