ROMEOVILLE, Ill. – The Lewis University women's volleyball team makes its way to Indianapolis later this week to join the rest of the Great Lakes Valley Conference in the Midwest Region Crossover.
The annual tournament, hosted at The Academy Volleyball Club, will showcase the entirety of the GLVC alongside the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and the Great Midwest Athletic Conference.
The Flyers carry their 16-3 (5-2 GLVC) record into the Crossover as the sixth-seeded GLVC representative. Lewis are matched up with the University of Findlay, Grand Valley State University and Hillsdale College for the two-day event.
For more information on the 2019 Midwest Region Crossover, visit glvcsports.com, or follow the link provided above. Live stats for each Lewis match can be found via LewisFlyers.com.
How We Got Here
The Flyers have collected five GLVC victories through the first seven league matches in 2019, chalking-up straight set victories over Truman State, Quincy, Maryville and Missouri S&T and a four-set win over Illinois Springfield. Three of those victories came at Neil Carey Arena.
Senior outside hitter
Alexandra Preuss (Elmhurst, Ill./York) continues to lead the attack for Lewis eclipsing 200 kills on the season with her fourth kill at Bellarmine on Saturday.
Junior middle hitter
Ava Venema (Westmont, Ill./Timothy Christian) continues be an efficient menace at the net, ranking third in the league in hitting percentage at .370 and third in blocks with 1.28 per set.
Senior libero/defensive specialist
Ronni Katarzynski (Winfield, Ill./West Chicago) surpassed 1500 digs in her Lewis career with her seventh dig at Indianapolis on Friday. She is 11 digs shy of 1800 in her collegiate career which includes her 272 digs she recorded her freshman season at UNC Greensboro.
The Flyers dropped to 10th in this week's AVCA Coaches Poll after going 1-2 last week.
Scouting the Midwest Region Crossover
Lewis vs. Findlay (Friday; 1:30 p.m. CDT): Friday's matchup between the Flyers and Oilers marks the fifth meeting all-time with the two sides splitting the first four meetings. Lewis has won the last two matches in the series. The Flyers defeated Findlay in five sets in the 2015 Crossover in Aurora, Ill., and then swept the Oilers at the 2017 Crossover in Aurora, Ill.
About Findlay: The Oilers enter the Crossover with a record of 5-12 and are 2-3 in the GMAC. They've lost three matches in a row to Hillsdale, at Cedarville and at Tiffin. Shelby Kin leads the team offensively with 3.81 kills per set.
Lewis vs. Grand Valley State (Saturday; 9 a.m. CDT): The Lakers hold the historical advantage at 25-17 all-time but the Flyers have won three in a row in the series. Lewis and Grand Valley have crossed paths in the Crossover six times since its inception in 2008, with the Flyers taking four of those bouts.
About Grand Valley: The Lakers are 8-9 on the season, 4-5 in GLIAC play and have won three of their last four matches heading into Friday's contest against Missouri S&T. Ali Thompson finished with a match-high 16 kills in win over Northwood this past Saturday.
Lewis vs. Hillsdale (Saturday; 3 p.m. CDT): The Flyers lead the all-time series with Hillsdale 6-2 and have won two straight in the series. The two sides met last season at the Crossover with Lewis defeating the Chargers in straight sets.
About Hillsdale: The Chargers are 14-2, 5-0 in the GMAC and winners of seven straight heading into Friday's match with Rockhurst. Hillsdale is ranked 16th in this week's AVCA Coaches Poll.
