ROMEOVILLE, Ill. – The No. 15 Lewis University men's volleyball team fell in a tight match against reigning NCAA Champion No. 1 UCLA, 3-1, Thursday (Jan. 11).

TEAM RECORDS
No. 1 UCLA 3-0 | No. 15 Lewis 1-2

LEWIS LEADERS
Kills: Max Roquet (Johnston, Iowa/Johnston) (21), Christian Prayer (St. Louis, Mo./Parkway North) (10)
Digs: Prayer (9), Roquet (9), Nico Paula (Tampa, Fla./Berkeley Preparatory School) (9)
Assists: Tyler Morgan (Dike, Iowa/Dike-New Hartford) (45)
Blocks: Piotr Wymoczyl (Arlington Heights, Ill./Buffalo Grove HS) (4)
Aces: Prayer (2), Roquet (2)

SET BREAKDOWN
Set 1: UCLA 25, Lewis 23
 Lewis grabbed an early 3-1 lead, but UCLA bounced right back taking five of the next seven points to take the advantage. Things stayed tight as the score was tied 13 times when a kill by Prayer evened up the score at 16-16.

Then, it was the Bruins jumping ahead with four straight points including a pair of service aces. The Flyers later got to within one point after a 3-0 run capped by a kill from Michael Sack (Oak Lawn, Ill./St. Laurence), but UCLA was able to finish the set win with a block.

Set 2: Lewis 25, UCLA 22
It was a close set early with a 3-0 burst giving the Bruins a 7-4 lead. Later in the set, a 7-2 charge from Lewis gave the Flyers a 13-12 advantage.

Things stayed tight from there as a kill by Roquet put Lewis up 18-17 before UCLA went on a 4-0 push to take back the lead. From there, however, it was all Lewis. The Flyers took seven of the last eight points including three aces, two by Prayer and one by Roquet.

Set 3: UCLA 28, Lewis 26
Much like the first two sets, things went back-and-forth between both sides again in the third set. The score was tied at eight when Lewis grabbed a slim lead with kills from Roquet and Sack, but the Bruins pushed right back with a 6-1 run to grab a three-point lead.

Later in the set, a 4-0 push from UCLA capped by back-to-back aces put the Bruins up 21-15. The Flyers showed great resilience in taking seven of the next eight points capped by a kill from Roquet to tie the set at 22.

A kill by Prayer gave Lewis set point at 26-25, but UCLA put together a 3-0 run to take the set.

Set 4: UCLA 25, Lewis 23
Each of the first nine points in the fourth set went to the receiving team as neither side could get on a run. The Bruins then secured the first 3-0 run of the set to grab a 7-6 lead.

Later, the Flyers used a 4-0 run with kills from Morgan and Syver Drolsum (Vikersund, Norway/Toppvolley Norge) to secure a 13-9 advantage. After UCLA took five of the next six to tie it, Lewis pushed right back ahead with a 3-0 run with an ace from Morgan to go ahead 17-14.

Unfortunately for the Flyers, the Bruins later bounced back with a 3-0 surge to get within one, then a 4-0 charge to secure a 24-22 lead. Back-to-back service errors ended the match.

UP NEXT
Lewis men's volleyball is back in action Saturday (Jan. 13) hosting No. 9 BYU at 7 p.m. CT. It will be First Responder Night at Neil Carey Arena.