WILLIAMSVILLE, Ill. -- The Lewis University women's volleyball team won its fourth straight Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament Championship on Sunday (November 24) as the Flyers took down Rockhurst 3-1. Lewis becomes the second school in the GLVC to four-peat as GLVC Tournament Champions.
TEAM RECORDS
Lewis 22-10 | (RV) Rockhurst 21-7
LEWIS LEADERS vs. Rockhurst
Kills: Bella Ray (Plainfield, Ill./Joliet Catholic) (17)
Digs: Ally Hickey (Granger, Ind./Penn) (26),
Hannah Alvey (Mapleton, Ill./Illinois Central College) (18)
Assists: Lily King (Channahon, Ill./Kent State) (18),
Rachel Kaczorowski (Carpentersville, Ill./Harry D. Jacobs) (16)
Aces: Ray (3)
Blocks: Emma O'Neill (Papillion, Neb./Papillion La Vista South) (6), Ray (5),
Natalie Stefanski (Plainfield, Ill./Joliet West) (5)
SET BREAKDOWN vs. Rockhurst
Set 1: Rockhurst 25, Lewis 12
Both teams each scored six points to begin the match, making it 6-6. Rockhurst responded with back-to-back points and took control of the set from that point on.
Ray recorded a kill to make it 14-9 in favor of the Hawks but that was the closest Lewis was able to make it. Rockhurst outscored Lewis 11-3 the rest of the way to win the opening set 25-12.
Set 2: Lewis 25, Rockhurst 17
The second went back-and-forth as both teams traded five points apiece. Ray recorded a service ace to give Lewis back the lead and the Flyers never looked back.
Keegan Carey (Orland Park, Ill./Carl Sandburg) and Ray recorded a block to Lewis a 16-13 set advantage. The Hawks got the next point before the Flyers rallied off three more in a row including a pair of aces from Ray to make it 19-14.
Rockhurst recorded the next score before Lewis scored three straight again including a pair of kills from Alvey and a block from
Emma O'Neill (Papillion, Neb./Papillion La Vista South) and
Lauren Buxton (Springfield, Ill./Pleasant Plains) extended the Lewis lead out to 22-15.
The Flyers won the second set after picking up the last three points and tied it at 1-1.
Set 3: Lewis 25, Rockhurst 19
Lewis jumped out to an early 4-0 lead in the set which came from Rockhurst miscues and a block from Stefanski and O'Neill. Rockhurst looked to get back in the set but a block and a kill from Ray stopped any rally.
The Hawks cut it down to 12-9 but the Flyers responded with three straight including kills from Stefanski and Buxton to make it 15-9. Rockhurst got the next point before Lewis rallied for four straight including a pair of kills from Ray and then one from Stefanski.
The Flyers were able to go ahead 2-1 after taking the third set 25-19, including a trio of kills from Buxton that gave Lewis the victory.
Set 4: Lewis 25, Rockhurst 12
Lewis jumped out to an early 7-3 lead after a block from Stefanski and Ray. The Flyers led for most of the way in the fourth set and never gave it up.
Rockhurst cut it down to 14-9 after recording three straight points but that was the closest the Hawks got. Lewis scored four straight after a pair of kills from Buxton, one by Ray and an ace from Hickey to make it 18-9.
The Hawks scored their last point of the match to make it 21-12 in favor of the Flyers. Lewis closed out the set and the match after recording four consecutive points including a kill from Carey and a pair from Alvey to win it 3-1.
UP NEXT
Lewis will await its 2024 NCAA DII Tournament seeding as the selection show is Monday, November 25 at 6:30 p.m. CT with the Flyers receiving the GLVC's automatic bid. Stay tuned for the announcement on
www.ncaa.com
