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Honolulu, Hawaii – Despite getting double-figure kills from outside hitter redshirt junior Kim Vertin (Joliet, Ill./Joliet Central) and sophomore middle hitter Morgan Cebula (Stevens Point, Wis./Stevens Point Area), the Flyers were unable to pick up their first win of the season falling 3-1 (25-21, 18-25, 25-20, 25-21) to Hawaii Pacific on Friday (Sept. 6). The Sea Warriors improve to 3-0 on the season while the Flyers fall to 0-2.
 
Cebula led with 15 kills while Vertin collected 11 kills for the Flyers. Junior setter Leigh Barea (Battle Creek, Mich./Harper Creek) picked up 36 assists while senior libero Amy Choi (Vernon Hills, Ill./Vernon Hills) had 19 digs. Freshman outside hitter Bailey Sparkman (St. Charles, Mo./Francis Howell) had 15 digs, 7 kills and three service aces. Redshirt freshman middle hitter Alesia Kroeker (Elkhorn, Neb./Elkhorn) led the blockers with four block assists and six kills.
 
"We matched up better and played stronger volleyball against Hawaii Pacific," Lewis head women's volleyball coach Lorelee Smith said. "Our focus needs to be geared towards making less errors and learning from mistakes faster."
 
In the hotly contested first set, the squads were neck-in-neck late in the match. After a Lewis timeout with Hawaii Pacific up 21-19, the Flyers picked up kills by Cebula and Sparkman but the Sea Warriors took advantage of a kill and three Lewis errors for the 25-21 set victory.
 
In the second set, the Flyers jumped out to 8-2 lead. Lewis picked up kills from Cebula, Kroeker, and Choi as well as capitalized on four Hawaii Pacific errors to go up by six. Choi also had an ace during the run. The Flyers kept the pressure on the Sea Warriors, taking the set, 25-18.
 
The Flyers took a quick 5-2 lead to start the third set but a six-point run by the Sea Warriors flipped the momentum. Lewis battled back to tie the set three more times but Hawaii Pacific closed out the set on a five-point run to claim it, 25-20.
 
The Sea Warriors carried their momentum into the fourth set, going up 8-4. Lewis tied it up at 8-all but Hawaii Pacific was able to string together scoring runs to stay ahead and win the set 25-21.
 
Hawaii Pacific's offense was led by Pomai Recca's 18 kills and 17 digs while Marie Fujii had 26 assists. Chelsey Buyuan picked up a floor high 29 digs in the four-set contest.
 
The Flyers continue action in Hawaii on Saturday (Sept. 7) when they take on Fort Hays State at 12 PM HT at Hawaii Pacific in Honolulu.