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INDIANAPOLIS - Number nine will have to wait. No. 17 Lewis women's volleyball, going for a league record ninth Great Lakes Valley Conference Championship, lost at No. 21 Indianapolis on Sunday in the 2011 GLVC Championship 3-2 (18-25, 25-23, 22-25, 25-18, 23-21). It was first five set GLVC Championship match since Lewis defeated SIUE in 2006.
 
The match featured 49 lead changes and 19 ties. The fifth set alone had 13 ties and five lead changes. The frantic final frame had six match points for the Greyhounds and three for Lewis. Lewis jumped out to an 11-8 lead in the set only to see the Greyhounds earn the first match point at 14-13. Lewis earned match points at 15-14, 18-17 and 19-18.
 
“We can play better and smarter than we did today,” head coach Lorelee Smith said. “We'll turn our attention to next week and I feel if we can do that the regional championships is up for grabs.”
 
Lewis and Indianapolis played point for point in the first set until a 6-1 run for the Flyers midway through the frame gave Lewis some breathing room. Senior Danielle Mount (Crest Hill, Ill./Lockport) (Crest Hill, Ill./Lockport) had a thunderous solo block for point 24. An Indianapolis attack went into the antenna on the only set point the Flyers would need. Lewis hit .400 in the first set.
 
The Flyers trailed set two 22-16 but stormed back to get within one at 24-23. A dizzying rally on the Greyhounds' third set point eventually ended up as point 25 for Indianapolis instead of a score tying 24 for Lewis. Indianapolis' Courtney Anglemyer had eight kills for Indianapolis in the set.
 
Lewis grabbed the first three-point lead of the third set at 16-13 only to see the Greyhounds waste no time getting back in it with a four-point run. Koeneman got the Flyers back on track with a kill to tie it at 17. The difference in the set came with the score tied at 21. Junior Carly Perschnick (Dwight, Ill./Dwight Township) (Dwight, Ill./Dwight Township/Nova Southeastern) tipped a first touch over for point 22. Back-to-back errors gave Lewis a 24-21 advantage. Senior Hannah Koeneman (New Haven, Ind./Woodlan) (New Haven, Ind./Woodlan) recorded her fifth kill of the set for point 25.  
 
Indianapolis was the first team with a three-point lead in the fourth after a 4-0 run gave them a 15-12 advantage. The Greyhounds cruised from there to send the match to a fifth set.
 
Koeneman finished with a career-high 31 kills for Lewis.
 
“Hannah wanted the ball and she delivered,” Smith said. “The 30 kill club is a pretty exclusive club.”
 
Sophomore libero Amy Choi (Vernon Hills, Ill./Vernon Hills) (Vernon Hills, Ill./Vernon Hills) added a career-best 34 digs.
 
Indianapolis held a slight 115-110 advantage in digs. While Lewis held a 79-66 advantage in kills and a 16-9 lead in blocks.
 
Indianapolis improves to 22-7. Lewis falls to 25-6.
 
It was Lewis' sixth consecutive appearance in the GLVC Championship match. It was the third straight year the Flyers and Greyhounds played for the title.

The Flyers were ranked No. 4 in last week's Midwest Region rankings. When Lewis hears their name called on Sunday evening during the Tournament Selection Show it will be the Flyers' sixth consecutive NCAA Tournament berth. Their streak is the longest current run in the GLVC.