Romeoville, Ill. – The Lewis University women's volleyball team avoid tricks and got treats as they defeated McKendree, 3-1, on Halloween night at Neil Carey Arena.
With the win, the Flyers improved to 13-10 (4-4 GLVC) while the Bearcats dropped to 5-18 (3-6).
HOW IT HAPPENED
After dropping the first set to McKendree 25-20, Lewis stormed out of the gate to begin the second stanza as they rattled of seven of the first 10 points of the frame. The Flyers continued to attack the Bearcats and a late 5-0 run gave them their first double-digit cushion of the evening, 22-11. Lewis sealed the frame with a kill from senior
Emma O'Neill (Papillion, Neb./Papillion La Vista South) to win, 25-15, and tie the match, 1-1.
The Flyers dominated the third set as they opened the frame on a 14-2 run, led by three kills from freshman
Ann Kelly Velikov (Orvault, France/C.E.N.S.), and never looked back en route to their 25-14 third stanza win to take a 2-1 match lead. During the frame, Lewis hit at a clip of .303 compared to -.023 for McKendree.
In the final frame, the red and white found themselves up one, 11-10, but gained breathing room as a kill from junior
Lauren Buxton (Springfield, Ill./Pleasant Plains) ushered a 5-1 run that granted Lewis a 16-11 edge. The Bearcats tallied the next two scores to bring it to within three, but that was as close as Lewis let them get for the remainder of the night as a Bearcats attack error sparked a 6-1 run which propelled Lewis forward, 22-14. Lewis and McKendree traded the final handful of points with the Flyers winning the set, 25-17, off a Bearcats service error and claimed the 3-1 match win.
Velikov led Lewis with 16 kills while junior
Lily King (Channahon, Ill./Kent State) provided a match-best 34 assists. On the defensive side of the ball, O'Neill notched eight total blocks (1S, 7A) with junior
Sarah Newberry (Fairfield, Ohio/Stephen T Badin) close behind with six of her own (0S, 6A). Buxton led Lewis in the winning effort with 22 digs while fellow junior
Kynzie Lilly (Richmond, Texas/Southwest Baptist) had 21 of her own, both of which established new career-highs. As a team, Lewis hit at a clip of .250 (54-16-152) compared to .098 (44-28-164) for McKendree.
Destiny Gray paced the Bearcats with a team-best 12 kills and three total blocks (1S, 2A) while Peyton Uptgraft led McKendree with 31 assists. Ashley Berczynski had a match-best 31 digs in the losing effort.
POSTMATCH COMMENTS
MATCH NOTES
- Lewis is now 17-2 all-time against McKendree and has won the last 11 meetings.
- O'Neill tallied five-or-more blocks for the eighth time this year and first instance since Oct. 17 against Walsh at the Midwest Crossover.
- Velikov had 10-or-more kills for the seventh time this year and first instance since Oct. 11 at Missouri S&T when she had 15
- The Flyers held their opponent to a sub-.100 hitting percentage for the first time since Sept. 30 against Roosevelt when they limited the Lakers to a .048 percentage.
- Lewis is now 3-1 against schools from the state of Illinois during the 2025 campaign.
UP NEXT
The Flyers return to action tomorrow against RV MIssouri-St. Louis. Opening serve from Neil Carey Arena is scheduled for 3 p.m.
50 YEARS OF WOMEN'S ATHLETICS (WATCH)
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 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.
