Romeoville, Ill. – Truman State outside hitter Laci Neece put down 20 kills to help the Bulldogs stun the Lewis University women's volleyball team, 3-2, in Great Lakes Valley Conference women's volleyball action Friday evening at Neil Carey Arena.
With the win, Truman State improved to 6-9 overall and 3-0 in GLVC action while Lewis slipped to 8-7 and 1-2 in conference play.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Flyers dominated the first set and used a .424 (16-2-33) hitting percentage to propel them to a 25-14 set one victory and 1-0 match lead.
Truman State flipped the script in the second set as they used multiple long scoring runs throughout the set to hold a 21-17 lead late in the frame. Despite a late 4-1 Flyers run that brought them to within one, 22-21, the Bulldogs tallied three consecutive scores to hold off the late rally and win, 25-22 and tie the match 1-1.
In a tightly contested third set, the two sides found themselves tied, 20-20. The Bulldogs scored the next two points to break the deadlock and make it a 22-20 match. Still, the Flyers had an answer as back-to-back kills from junior
Lauren Buxton (Springfield, Ill./Pleasant Plains) and senior Emma O'Neil tied the match at 22 a piece.
After exchanging the next two points to make it a 23-23 contest, the Bulldogs sealed the frame with a Flyers attack error and a kill from Jessica Prosznyak to edge Lewis, 25-23 and take a 2-1 match lead.
Again caught in a back and forth fourth set, this time tied 11-11, the Flyers offense found their wings as a Buxton kill served as the start of an 8-3 spurt that gave Lewis a 19-14 cushion. Truman State tallied four of the next six points to bring the match to within three, 21-18, but the Flyers were unfazed as they closed the frame by tallying four of the final five points, highlighted by pair of kills from freshman
Ann Kelly Velikov (Orvault, France/C.E.N.S.), to win, 25-19 and force the fifth set.
In the fifth and final set, Lewis trailed Truman State 10-6 but found a spark as a pair of Bulldogs errors along with a Buxton kill brought the red and white to within one, 10-9. Still, the visitors snuffed out the Flyers late charge as kill from the Bulldogs Makayla Way served as the catalyst for their game-winning 5-1 run that sealed the 15-10 set five win and 3-2 match victory.
Along with 20 kills from Neece, Tori Creason tallied 28 assists to aid the Bulldogs winning effort. On the defensive side of the ball, Addy Janssen totaled a team-best 30 digs while Makayla Way amassed six total blocks. Even in the win, Truman State posted a .148 (57-27-203) hitting percentage compared to .169 (56-24-189) for Lewis.
Junior
Sarah Newberry (Fairfield, Ohio/Stephen T Badin) and Buxton led the Lewis attack with 11 kills each with Buxton also adding in 16 digs for a double-double. Junior
Elena Gubera (Jamestown, Ind./Western Boone) amassed a career-high 35 digs in the loss while at the net, Newberry led Lewis with five total blocks (1S, 4A).
MATCH NOTES
- Today marked the 20th all-time meeting between the two longtime GLVC foes. Lewis is now 15-5 all-time against Truman State.
- Lewis is now 2-2 this season in five set matches
- Buxton tallied 10-or-more digs for the fourth time in five matches.
- Gubera is the first member of the red and white to tally 30-or-more digs this season. She is also the first player to accomplish the feat since Ally Hickey (Granger, Ind./Penn) had 41 against Maryville on Nov. 2, 2024.
- Newberry amassed five or more blocks for the fifth time this year.
- Between the second and third sets, the Flyers hosted their annual Teddy Bear Toss.
UP NEXT
Lewis will close its three-game homestand with a 3 p.m. contest against Upper Iowa tomorrow afternoon.
50 YEARS OF WOMEN'S ATHLETICS
Lewis University is also organizing several alumni and family events throughout the women's athletic seasons to commemorate this historic milestone. These special gatherings will provide an opportunity for former athletes, families, and supporters to reconnect and celebrate the achievements of women's sports at Lewis. The scheduled events include:
- Women's Soccer Alumni Day (Oct. 17)
- Women's Volleyball (Nov. 14)
For the latest news, scores, and updates on Lewis women's volleyball, visit LewisFlyers.com and follow the Flyers on social media at @Lewisuwvb on Instagram and @LewisWVBall on X.
