ROMEOVILLE, Ill. – Lewis University's third ranked men's volleyball team dropped a four-set match to 13th ranked McKendree on Friday evening at Neil Carey Arena. The Flyers fall to 8-2, 3-2 MIVA while the Bearcats improve to 8-0, 7-0 MIVA.
Lewis fell behind 5-0 in the opening set and was never able to recover. It closed to within three points multiple times late in the set but was never able to get over the hump as McKendree won the opener 25-21. The Bearcats hit .423 in the stanza recording 13 kills against two errors in 26 chances and held the Flyers to a .138 attack percentage.
Lewis used a 5-1 run early in the second frame to tale a three-point lead and wouldn't relinquish it. It led by as many as seven points in the set on its way to a 25-19 victory.
Ryan Coenen (Franklin, WI/Franklin) led the Flyers with six kills in the frame while the team hit .370 recording 13 kills against three errors in 27 chances.
Lewis led early in the third set but was unable to overcome an 11-4 run from the Bearcats which turned a two-point lead into a five-point deficit. The Flyers wouldn't get closer than four the remainder of the set as McKendree would go onto win 25-19.
The fourth set was back-and-forth early until the Bearcats went on a 5-1 run to break an eight all tie to take control of the stanza. Lewis got to within one three different times but again were unable to get over the hump as McKendree would go onto win the set 25-22.
Coenen led the Flyers with 18 kills while
Kyle Bugee (Cupertino, Calif./Homestead) and
Tyler Mitchem (Bolingbrook, Ill./Bolingbrook HS) added eight kills apiece.
Kevin Kauling (Naperville, Ill./Neuqua Valley) handed out 38 assists and
Jason Gibbs (Bellaire, Texas/Bellarie) finished with eight digs. As a team, Lewis finished the match with a .265 hitting percentage recording 47 kills against 16 errors in 117 chances.
Ethan Carroll led a balanced Bearcat attack with 15 kills. He was joined in double figures by Patrick Ross and Zach Schnittker with 12 kills apiece. Serrano had 41 set assists and Francisco Comas had a match-high 12 digs. McKendree hit .277 for the match registering 51 kills against 18 errors in 119 swings.
The Flyers wrap up their five-match homestand next weekend hosting Ball State on Friday at 7 p.m. and again on Saturday at 7 p.m.
