March 31, 2010

Box Score

Box Score in PDF Format

ROMEOVILLE, Ill. - The Flyers entered Wednesday's match against conference-foe IPFW without the services of starting setter senior Mike Iandolo (Orlando, Fla./Long Beach State) and starting outside hitter senior Nathan Klaas (Orland Park, Ill./Sandburg) due to injuries. By the end of the first set they were without a third starter, when middle hitter sophomore Matt Gallik (Evergreen Park, Ill./Brother Rice) left the match with a knee injury. However the Flyers' attack didn't skip a beat as Lewis swept IPFW 31-29, 30-24, 31-29.

Senior setter Andy Frontz (El Cajon, Calif./Grossmont CC), starting his third consecutive match, had 46 assists and helped Lewis hit .391 against the Mastodons. Freshman Ian Karbiener (Orlando, Fla./Olympia) totaled 15 kills with a .407 attack percentage. Junior Brian Muesenfechter (St. Louis, Mo./Christian Brothers) hit .333 with 10 kills. Sophomore Aaron Flick (North Ridgeville, Ohio/St. Edward) hit .389 with 10 kills and four block assists. Freshman Chris Biscardi (Wading River, N.Y./Shoreham-Wading River) had eight kills on nine attempts with two blocks after coming into the match for Gallik near the end of the opening set.

"It was a great team win tonight," head coach Dan Friend said. "We had some unfortunate luck with a few injuries in the past week but the guys have stepped it up not just to win, but to win three consecutive matches in straight sets."

Lewis led by as many as five in the opening set and earned set-point at 29-26 when IPFW went on a 3-0 run. Karbiener delivered a kill to make the score 30-29. On the ensuing point the recently inserted Biscardi teamed with Karbiener for a set clinching block.

The second set was tied 10 times but featured just one lead change early in the frame. Lewis scored consecutive points on seven occasions to control the stanza. Lewis sided-out on 22-of-24 opportunities.

The third set was a different story, with IPFW leading for the majority of the game. The Mastodons led 22-18 when a Biscardi kill kick-started an 8-3 Lewis run to give the Flyers a one-point advantage. An IPFW kill and two consecutive hitting errors by Flick gave IPFW a 28-26 lead. Lewis asked for time and responded out of the break with a kill by freshman Jay Petty (Downers Grove, Ill./Downers Grove North) and a block by Flick and Muesenfechter. An IPFW kill gave the Mastodons set point at 29-28, but a pair of Karbiener kills and an IPFW hitting error gave the match to Lewis.

Both teams had just one ace in the match, but Lewis committed just 11 service errors to IPFW's 20.

IPFW falls to 6-13 and 2-7 in the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association. Lewis improves to 16-7 and 5-3 in the MIVA.

Lewis returns to the court on Tuesday in a home match against No. 15 Ball State. The match will be aired live on Lakeshore Public Television. First serve is slated for 7 p.m.