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PDF BoxROMEOVILLE, Ill. – No. 14 Lewis men's volleyball was edged 3-2 (25-15, 18-25, 27-25, 21-25, 15-12) on Tuesday (Feb. 23) evening by No. 11 Loyola in a Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association match at Neil Carey Arena. The contest was a rematch of last season's national title and MIVA championship match.
The teams traded lopsided wins in the first two frames. It was the third set when the drama heated up. The Flyers erased deficits of 7-3, 13-9 and 19-16. The key stretch was a 4-0 run that put Lewis up 20-19. Senior
Bobby Walsh (Chicago, Ill./Mount Carmel) had an ace in the push. The teams traded side outs, eventually giving Lewis set point at 24-22. The Ramblers denied both, earning their own set point at 25-24 following an ace by Peter Hutz. Lewis senior
Patrick Lilly (East Northport, N.Y./Commack) knotted the game at 25, but two Loyola kills followed to give the set to the Ramblers.
The Flyers bounced back by leading set four from start to finish. Junior
Trevor Weiskircher (Loves Park, Ill./Boylan Catholic) had eight of his team-high 16 kills in the fourth. He stayed hot in the fifth set, notching three kills in the frame as the Flyers went up 10-7. Lewis was up 11-9, four points away from a victory, when Loyola came alive. The Ramblers went on a 5-0 run to take control of the match.
"It comes down to closing games," Lewis head coach
Dan Friend said. "We have to take advantage of the opportunities we had in the third and fifth sets."
Walsh added 12 kills with five blocks and an ace. Freshman
Michael Simmons (Aurora, Ill./Waubonsie Valley) recorded five aces, five digs and two blocks.
Loyola's effort was lifted by Ricky Gevis' 24 kills.
The Ramblers out-hit Lewis .398 to .320. Lewis held a 9.5 to 8.5 edge in blocks.
The loss drops Lewis to 10-7 (5-4 MIVA). Loyola improves to 10-4 (5-2 MIVA). Lewis returns to the court on Friday (Feb. 26) in a conference contest at McKendree.
