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ROMEOVILLE, Ill. – Sophomore Jay Petty (Downers Grove, Ill./Downers Grove North) recorded nine of his 22 kills in the fourth set to help No. 15 Lewis men's volleyball defeat No. 7 Ohio State 3-1 (25-27, 25-23, 25-19, 25-21) on Saturday evening at Neil Carey Arena. It is Lewis' first home win over the Buckeyes since 2005.

Petty finished with a .400 hitting percentage while adding six digs.

“When we weren't passing as well in the end Jay found ways to get sideouts and kills,” head coach Dan Friend said. “That's what an all-conference caliber player can do for you.”

The story of the match was Lewis' blocking success. The Flyers out-blocked the Buckeyes 17.5 to 6.5. Junior Aaron Flick (North Ridgeville, Ohio/St. Edward) recorded six blocks (one solo) while classmate Matt Gallik (Evergreen Park, Ill./Brother Rice) totaled eight block assists. Gallik also had nine kills on 14 attempts with no errors.

“We did a nice job blocking pin-to-pin and help blocking,” Friend said. “You saw us get better tonight and it's a great win for the guys.”

Freshman Michael Adams (Webster Groves, Mo./St. Louis University High School) recorded eight blocks (one solo), seven kills and three aces.

“Mike brought pressure from the service line,” Friend said. “You look at his blocks and digs; everything he brought tonight was huge.”

The Flyers won a second set which featured 21 ties and 13 lead changes. The score was tied at 23 when Lewis scored the final two points. Point 24 came on an Ohio State service error. Point 25 came on a Petty kill.

Following a 10-minute intermission in which the Lewis women's volleyball team received their 2010 conference championship rings, the men's team came out in championship form, limiting the Buckeyes to a -.062 attack percentage in set three.

Lewis never trailed in the third and fourth sets. The difference in the fourth set came early. Back-to-back Petty kills made the score 5-3 in favor of Lewis. Lewis cruised from there as Ohio State never tied it again. Flick scored point 25 for Lewis with a kill to the approval of a boisterous Neil Carey Arena crowd.

The win improves Lewis to 17-9 (5-4 Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association). Ohio State drops to 18-5 (11-1 MIVA). It was Ohio State's final conference match of the year, meaning Lewis will be the only MIVA team to defeat Ohio State in 2011.

The Flyers are next on the court on Friday against IPFW at 6 p.m. It is the regular season home finale for Lewis and it will also be senior day.

Lewis University is a Catholic university offering distinctive undergraduate and graduate programs to more than 6,000 traditional and adult students.  Lewis offers multiple campus locations, online degree programs, and a variety of formats that provide accessibility and convenience to a growing student population. Sponsored by the De La Salle Christian Brothers, Lewis prepares ethically grounded, globally aware, and socially responsible graduates.  The ninth largest not-for-profit university in Illinois, Lewis has been nationally recognized by The Princeton Review and U.S. News & World Report. Visit www.lewisu.edufor further information.