EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Lewis University's 14th ranked women's volleyball team rallied for a 3-2 (22-25, 25-22, 23-25, 25-22, 15-6) season opening victory over Southern Indiana on Friday evening at Screaming Eagle Arena in Evansville, Ind.

Sophomore Juliana Van Loo (Burbank, Calif./John Burroughs) led three Flyers (1-0, 1-0 GLVC) in double figures with 13 kills while senior Ava Venema (Westmont, Ill./Timothy Christian) and junior Amanda Greening (Metamora, Ill./Metamora) had 10 kills apiece. Redshirt sophomore Mikah Freppon (Cold Spring, Ky./Newport Central Catholic) handed out 25 assists and senior Jamie Poppen (Ballwin, Mo./Parkway West) had a match-high 26 digs.

Lewis began the match strong scoring the first three points but a 7-1 run by the Screaming Eagles (0-1, 0-1 GLVC) gave them the lead for a majority of the set. The Flyers were down 22-19 but came back to tie things at 22 after a kill from Venema and a block by Venema and Van Loo. Lewis was unable to get over the hump as USI scored the final three points of the set to take the opener 25-22.

The Flyers led by as many as five in set number two but found themselves trailing 21-19 after a 7-0 run by the Screaming Eagles. After a timeout, Lewis regrouped scoring four straight points to regain the lead at 23-21 on a solo block from Greening. USI cut the lead to 24-22 on a kill from Sidney Hegg but a kill from senior Caroline Stefanon (Orland Park, Ill./Carl Sandburg) on the next play gave the Flyers the 25-22 set win.

Lewis led by as many as five in the swing set but was unable to close it out as the Screaming Eagles outscored them 15-8 the rest of the set to win 25-23 on a service from Abby Bednar.

The Flyers pulled away midway through set four and were ahead 19-15 but USI refused to yield getting to within two points on three different occasions before Lewis won the set 25-22 after a bad set from Callie Gubera.

The final set was all Lewis as it went on a 10-0 run to erase an early deficit and take a 12-3 lead on a kill from sophomore Megan Schlechte (Strasburg, Ill./Stewardson-Strasburg). The Screaming Eagles wouldn't get closer than eight points the rest of the way as the Flyers won 15-6.

Lewis finished the match hitting .223 (59 kills against 22 errors in 166 total attempts).

The Flyer defense held USI to .088 hitting percent with 46 kills against 31 errors in 171 chances. Leah Anderson finished with a match-high 15 kills to lead the Screaming Eagles while Casey Cepicky had a match-high 31 assists and Gubera and Anderson were tied for the team high in digs with 15 each.

Lewis is back in action on Saturday afternoon traveling to Indianapolis to take on the Greyhounds at 2 p.m. (CST).