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PDF Box ScoreLEBANON, Ill. – No. 3 Lewis men's volleyball picked up their 17
th win of the season on Thursday (March 19) with a road conference victory at Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association newcomer McKendree. The Flyers won 3-1 (25-14, 25-23, 23-25, 25-15).
Lewis cruised in the opening frame, but things tightened in the second set. No team held a lead larger than two points in the second. Lewis went up 15-13 only to see McKendree rattle off four straight points and take a two-point lead of their own. Lewis asked for time and tied the score at 17 on a kill by senior
Greg Petty (Downers Grove, Ill./Downers Grove North) and a solo block by junior
Bobby Walsh (Chicago, Ill./Mount Carmel). Lewis' next lead came at 23-22 on a McKendree attack error. The two clubs traded the next two points, giving Lewis set point at 24-23. Lewis took advantage by going to Petty on a kill for point 25.
The visiting Flyers were unable to close out the match in the third set. Lewis never held a lead after 2-1 but came close to a late rally after a kill by sophomore
Jacob Schmiegelt (Lombard, Ill./Willowbrook) cut the score to 24-23. Senior
Geoff Powell (Claremont, Calif./Claremont), who had a kill a point earlier, went back to serve but his attempt went long and the Bearcats took the set.
Any chance of the match going to a fifth set was erased by a 12-3 run by Lewis to finish the match in the fourth. The run saw Lewis score the final six points of the contest, including an ace by senior
Eric Fitterer (Edwardsville, Ill./Edwardsville) for point 24.
"McKendree is a young talented team and they put some pressure on us in some areas in a good environment to play in," Lewis head coach
Dan Friend said. "We weren't as clean as we needed to be on our side."
Petty had a match-high 17 kills for the Flyers. Powell recorded four of Lewis' six aces in the contest. Lewis out-blocked McKendree 11.5 to 10.5 with Schmiegelt leading the way with five blocks. The Flyers out-hit the Bearcats .299 to .125, with McKendree hitting above .130 in only the second set.
Lewis improves to 17-2 (8-1 MIVA). McKendree falls to 10-14 (1-10 MIVA). Lewis takes nearly a week off before returning to the court on Thursday (March 26) against Ball State at 7 p.m. at Neil Carey Arena.
