Springfield, Ill. - The Lewis University women's volleyball team opened their conference slate with a 3-1 win over the University of Illinois Springfield on Friday evening.
The Flyers improved to 7-5 with the win while the Prarie Stars slipped to 6-5 in the first conference match of the year for both teams.
HOW IT HAPPENED
In a tightly contested opening frame, the Flyers found themselves down one, 20-19. Still, the red and white took off on the next play as an UIS attack error kicked-off a 5-2 spurt that moved Lewis to within one of winning the set, 24-22. The host Prarie Stars recovered on the next play as a Makenna Cox kill ushered in a 4-0 spurt that saw UIS steal the first frame, 26-24.
Lewis flew out of the gate to open the second stanza as they rattled off six of the first eight points. The Flyers continued to attack and a 4-1 run in the middle of the frame saw their lead expand to a set-best six, 21-15. Despite a late push from UIS, Lewis capped the frame with back-to-back kills courtesy of sophomore
Marin Grossman (Hortonville, Wis./Hortonville) and senior Emma O'Neil to take the second credenza, 25-19 and tie the match.
Down one, 12-11, halfway through the third set, the Flyers gained some breathing room as another O'Neil kill ushered a 5-1 spurt that put Lewis ahead for good, 16-13. The two sides traded the next few scores with UIS getting to within one, 23-22. The Flyers never wavered and held on to take the set, 25-23 and go up 2-1 while holding UIS to a .000 hitting percentage during the stanza.
Despite a close match to begin the fourth set, the red and white offense took over as an UIS attack error served as the start of an match-best 11-3 run to give Lewis a 20-11 cushion. During the run, Grossman tallied three of her team-best 12 kills. Lewis never slowed and scored three of the final four points of the match to win, 25-16 and take the match 3-1.
Grossman and O'Neil led Lewis with 12 and 10 kills respectively. Freshman Kaleigh Krawiec ended the match with 33 assists. On the defensive side of the ball, junior
Sarah Newberry (Fairfield, Ohio/Stephen T Badin) provided five total blocks (1S, 4A) while Springfield native
Lauren Buxton (Springfield, Ill./Pleasant Plains) amassed 19 digs. Lewis ended the match with a .203 (
49-17-158) hitting percentage compared to .134 (
50-27-172) for the hosts.
Cox led UIS with 18 kills while her teammate Erica Sledge tallied 34 digs. Tiana Yuce led UIS and the match in digs with 22.
MATCH NOTES
- Lewis is now 20-1 all-time against UIS.
- Grossman eclipsed double-digit kills for the first time in her collegiate career.
- The Flyers have won their GLVC opener each year since 2012.
UP NEXT
Lewis will face Quincy tomorrow on the road with opening serve set for 3 p.m.
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.
