Box Score  / Box Score

Indianapolis, Ind. – In its seventh consecutive appearance in the Great Lakes Valley Conference Championship Tournament Finals, the Lewis University women's volleyball team fell 3-1 (25-23, 25-23, 17-25, 25-21) to Rockhurst on Sunday (Nov. 18) at ISSA.
 
“If someone were to look at the box score and not know the outcome of the match, I think they would assume we won,” Lewis head women's volleyball coach Lorelee Smith said. “That shows how close of a game this really was and pin points that late in each set we needed to close things out.”

The Flyers earned more kills (65-56), blocks (17-14) and more aces (3-1) and had a better hitting percentage (.197-.165) than the Hawks in the four set match.
 
In the first set, Rockhurst built a 16-11 lead on Lewis, but the Flyers were able to battle to push to a 23-23 tie. The Hawks were able to keep the Flyers at bay, winning the set 25-23, on two Lewis attack errors.
 
Lewis built a 15-6 lead with strong serving by Jen Krumwiede (Elkhart, Ind./Elkhart Memorial) and Amy Choi (Vernon Hills, Ill./Vernon Hills) in the second set. Rockhurst battled back to tie the match at 21-21. The Hawks' Alyssa Arnold served the final three RU points for the 25-23 set victory, getting kills from Emily Ready and Maggie Hummel.
 
Krumwiede had 16 kills and 17 digs for the Flyers while Colleen Mitros (Mokena, Ill./Providence Catholic) had 21 kills and 20 digs. Choi led the Flyers defense with 38 digs.
 
In the third set, Lewis steadily built a lead with Mitros serving and was able to put a six-point cushion between them and Rockhurst. The Flyers were able to score on two kills by Carly Perschnick (Dwight, Ill./Dwight Memorial) and two Rockhurst errors.

With Perschnick serving, Krumwiede earned the last two Flyer points to win the third set 25-17.
 
Both teams were unable to gain any momentum in the beginning of the fourth set, with ten ties and nine lead changes. Late in the set, Rockhurst's Lauren Poulicek had five serves that the Hawks were able to convert to take a 22-18 lead. The Hawks took the set 25-21 for the 3-1 victory.

“This loss really hurts and will be tough to move past but for the year this team has shown that they can rise to a challenge,” Smith said. “I hope they prove that again if we are awarded an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.”
 
Lewis will find out late Sunday (Nov. 18) if the team will be invited to play as an at-large team in the 2012 NCAA Midwest Regional.