Denver – The Lewis University women's volleyball team ended the weekend on a high note as they defeated Colorado Premier Tournament hosts Regis, 3-1 in their final match of the weekend. Earlier in the day, the Flyers fell to No. 21 Bentley, 3-1.
Lewis ended the weekend at 4-4 while Regis dropped to 0-8. As for Bentley, they left the Centennial State with a 4-4 overall mark.
HOW IT HAPPENED (VS #21 BENTLEY)
Tied 17-17 late in the first set, the Flyers broke away from the Falcons as a kill from junior
Lauren Buxton (Springfield, Ill./Pleasant Plains) started a 5-0 spurt that gave Lewis the lead for good, 22-17. Bentley responded with back-to-back kills, but the red and white scored three of the next four points, capped by Buxton's eighth kill of the frame, to seal the 25-20 set one victory and take a 1-0 lead.
Bentley took control after the first set as they held the red and white to a hitting percentage at or below .100 during the second and third sets to take a 2-1 lead in the match.
Both sides traded points to begin the final frame, but the Falcons claimed the lead good as a the 2024 NE-10 Tournament runner-up's used multiple 7-0 scoring runs to help seal the 25-15 set victory and 3-1 match victory.
Sophia Poehlein led the Falcons with 13 kills with her teammate Tory Vitko tallying a match-best 41 assists. On the defensive side of the ball, Sasha Luzina notched 13 digs while Elizabeth Blinn amassed five total blocks. Bentley ended the match with a hitting percentage of .216 (45-16-134) compared to .058 (37-29-137) for Lewis.
Buxton paced Lewis with 13 kills while freshman
Kaileigh Krawiec (Roselle, Ill./Lake Park) dished out 21 assists. Junior
Elena Gubera (Jamestown, Ind./Western Boone) notched 14 digs for the red and white in the loss.
HOW IT HAPPENED (AT REGIS)
Tied 14-14 midway through the opening stanza, the Lewis offense was cleared for takeoff as they embarked on a 9-3 run, paced by a pair of kills from Buxton, to command a 23-17 lead. The two sides exchanged the final four scores of the frame with junior
Mary Zielinski (Palos Hills, Ill./Stagg) accounting for the final kill of the first set to seal the 25-19 set one victory and put Lewis ahead, 1-0.
In another tightly contested set, the Flyers found themselves down two, 19-17, after a service error. Still, the red and white flipped the set to their favor as a Buxton kill sparked a 6-1 spurt that moved Lewis to within two of winning the set, 23-20. However, the host Rangers got the last laugh as they rattled off five unanswered points, led by three kills from Braiziah Dixion, to steal the set, 25-23 and tie the match, 1-1.
Regis stormed out of the gate to begin the third frame as they rattled off the first seven points of the stanza and used multiple scoring spurts to command a 16-11 lead halfway through the set. Still, this time it was Lewis who stunned their opponent as a Regis attack error ignited an 11-1 run for Lewis that saw them go them from down five to ahead by five, 22-17. During the run, three different Lewis players registered a kill, led by two from Buxton. Regis snapped the scoring run on the very next point, but the Flyers closed out the frame with a kills from Buxton and junior
Sarah Newberry (Fairfield, Ohio/Stephen T Badin) along with an attack error to take the frame, 25-18 and a 2-1 match lead.
Lewis made a statement in the fourth set as they used multiple long scoring runs, emphasized by a 10-0 run midway through the frame, while holding Regis to a -.161 (3-8-31) hitting percentage to stymie the hosts, 25-7 and win the match, 3-1.
Buxton led Lewis in kills for the second consecutive match with a season-best 18 kills and 16 digs while Gubera totaled three service aces. At the net, Newberry had one of her best defensive games of the season with eight total blocks, highlighted by a season-best five block assists. The Flyers ended the match with a hitting percentage of .111 (40-23-153) compared to -.006 (34-35-167) for the Rangers.
Jacie Kaniho tallied 14 kills with Bailey Nichols dished out a match-best 25 assists in the loss. Krissy Brei amassed 18 digs for Regis in the loss as well.
MATCH NOTES
- Lewis faced two ranked teams in back-to-back matches for the first time since facing No. 1 West Texas A&M and No. 6 Metro State back-to-back on the same day on Sept. 8, 2023.
- Lewis is now 3-2 against Regis and 0-2 against Bentley all-time.
- All five meetings against Regis have been played in Colorado.
- O'Neil has registered at least two total blocks in every match this season. She also recorded three solo blocks for the first time since Sept. 6 against Coker.
- Lewis held an opponent to a negative hitting percentage for the first time since Sept. 16, 2022, when they limited Maryville to a -.009 hitting percentage.
- The Flyers limited an opponent to 10-or-less points in a frame for the first time since Nov. 3, 2023, when they held Truman State to 10 points in both the second and fourth set.
- Buxton recorded 15-or-more kills for the third time this year with her 18 against Regis.
UP NEXT
Lewis will head to the Sunshine State to compete in the Embry-Riddle Invitational from Sept. 19-20.
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.
