Box Score / Box Score (PDF)

ROMEOVILLE, Ill. – Sophomore (Downers Grove, Ill./Downers Grove North) Jay Petty (Downers Grove, Ill./Downers Grove North) showed why he was an All-Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association First Team selection by recording a career-high 30 kills in No. 14 Lewis men's volleyball's 3-2 (25-20, 23-25, 25-22, 25-27, 17-15) victory over IPFW in the MIVA Quarterfinals on Friday.

Petty hit .531 while adding six digs and five blocks. He had five kills in the final set and scored Lewis' final three points. The last Flyer to record 30 kills in a match was Jared Dayton against Loyola on March 13, 2007.

“When push came to shove, when we needed a go-to guy, Jay was our man,” head coach Dan Friend said. “The best time to step up is the conference tournament and he did that tonight.”

The fifth set featured 11 ties and five lead changes. Lewis earned their first match point at 14-13 following two consecutive blocks. However a pair of IPFW kills gave the Mastodons match point at 15-14. That is when setter BJ Boldog (Palatine, Ill./Palatine) (Palatine, Ill./Palatine) went to Petty. Petty responded with kills for points 15, 16 and 17. Sophomore Ian Karbiener (Orlando, Fla./Olympia) (Orlando, Fla./Olympia) gave Petty the chance to put the match away by recording a dig on the final play.

Boldog finished with a career-high 62 assists while adding seven digs and six blocks (two solo). He ran a Lewis offense which out-hit the Mastodons .365 to .264.

“BJ is fighting an ankle injury but he pushed through,” Friend said. “You saw what he is made up tonight.”

IPFW forced a fifth set after winning the fourth, however not without a furious Flyer rally near the end. Trailing 24-20, the Flyers scored four consecutive points to tie the score. Petty had two kills and a block assist in the push. But IPFW won the set by scoring three of the next four points.

“We weren't short of fight but neither was IPFW,” Friend said. “IPFW was playing their best volleyball of the season but even when they had a match point we pushed through it to put ourselves in position to win.”

Senior Brian Muesenfechter (St. Louis, Mo./Christian Brothers) (St. Louis, Mo./Christian Brothers) totaled a career-high 14 digs and 12 kills. Karbiener added 11 kills and six digs. The Flyers out-blocked IPFW 16.5 to 10.5. A big reason for the advantage was junior Aaron Flick (North Ridgeville, Ohio/St. Edward)'s (North Ridgeville, Ohio/St. Edward) eight blocks (one solo).

The match featured 42 ties and 15 lead changes. IPFW ends their season 16-12. Lewis improves to 20-10.

The win advances Lewis to the MIVA Semifinals for a fourth consecutive season. The fourth seeded Flyers will play at top seeded Ohio State on Wednesday at 6 p.m. CT. The Flyers are the only MIVA team to defeat the Buckeyes this season.