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HILLSDALE, Mich. – No. 16 Lewis women's volleyball, seeded fifth, dropped a 3-1 (22-25, 25-9, 25-22, 26-24) decision to No. 17 and fourth seeded Northern Kentucky on Friday afternoon in the first round of the NCAA Midwest Regional. The match was played on the campus of Hillsdale College.

“It's hard to be positive right now but once we look back on the season and how much we improved as a team from start to finish you can classify the season as a success,” Lewis head coach Lorelee Smith said. “Perhaps we didn't go as far as we wanted to but every single member of the team should be proud and have the desire to push from this point forward with no steps backwards.”
 
The longest run in the first set was only three points, which Lewis used to open a 20-15 advantage. Freshman Leigh Barea (Battle Creek, Mich./Harper Creek) (Battle Creek, Mich./Harper Creek) assisted on all 16 Lewis kills in the opening frame.
 
The Norse cruised to a victory in set two. NKU stayed hot in the third set by taking an 11-3 advantage. Point-by-point the Flyers rallied back, advancing within two at 18-16 and one at 22-21 before the Norse pulled out a 25-22 set three victory.
 
The Flyers took their second lead of the fourth set on an ace by senior Kelly McConkey (Naperville, Ill./Naperville North) (Naperville, Ill./Naperville North) at 12-11. NKU used their second timeout within three points when the Flyers grabbed a 17-13 advantage. Lewis used their first timeout of the frame after the Norse advanced within two at 22-20. Three more NKU points gave the Norse a 23-22 lead and forced Lewis to take another timeout. A powerful kill by senior Hannah Koeneman (New Haven, Ind./Woodlan) (New Haven, Ind./Woodlan) tied it at 23. A Noelle Peterson kill of Lewis' block gave the Norse match point at 24-23. Senior Danielle Mount (Crest Hill, Ill./Lockport) (Crest Hill, Ill./Lockport) responded with a kill that forced the two clubs to play on before NKU won 26-24.

“They served tougher and our serve-receive let up,” Smith said of the difference following set one. “When that happens it is harder to get a kill. Once we improved our serve-receive toward the end of the third set we didn't terminate very well.”

Junior Jen Krumwiede (Elkhart, Ind./Elkhart Memorial) (Elkhart, Ind./Elkhart Memorial) finished with 13 digs and 12 kills for Lewis. McConkey had three aces. Koeneman and Mount each recorded 10 kills. Sophomore Amy Choi (Vernon Hills, Ill./Vernon Hills) (Vernon Hills, Ill./Vernon Hills) totaled 18 digs.
 
The Norse rallied after dropping the first set thanks to an 85-61 digs advantage. NKU held a .239 to .123 hitting percentage advantage.
 
The loss ends Lewis' four-match win streak over the Norse. NKU advances to the Midwest Regional Semifinals to face the winner of No. 8 Missouri S&T/No. 1 Hillsdale on Saturday.

NKU improves to 26-5 while the Flyers end the 2011 season 25-7.