Romeoville, Ill. – Propelled by 34 combined kills from
Marin Grossman (Hortonville, Wis./Hortonville) and
Lauren Buxton (Springfield, Ill./Pleasant Plains), the Lewis women's volleyball team defeated Maryville, 3-2, in Great Lakes Valley Conference action Saturday afternoon on the final day of Alumni Weekend at Neil Carey Arena.
With the win, the Flyers improved to 11-6 (5-1 GLVC), while the Saints moved to 8-9 (3-2 GLVC).
IMPACT PLAYERS
Grossman and Buxton led the Flyers with 17 kills apiece, while
Sarah Newberry (Fairfield, Ohio/Stephen T Badin) chipped in 13 of her own.
Grace Malek (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield South) led all Flyers with 30 assists, while
Kynzie Lilly (Richmond, Texas/Southwest Baptist) tallied five service aces. At the net, Newberry posted a team-best six block assists, while
Elena Gubera (Jamestown, Ind./Western Boone) finished with 14 digs.
Emma Keele led Maryville with 20 kills while Cami Kohmetscher tallied 24 assists. Keele also led the Saints with 19 digs for a double-double.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Tied at 2-2 in the winner-take-all fifth set, the Flyers broke away first as a timely Buxton kill sparked a 6-2 run that vaulted the Red and White ahead, 8-4. The teams traded the next handful of points before another Lewis kill, this time from
Caroline Impey (Naperville, Ill./Naperville Central), ushered in a 4-1 burst that moved the Flyers within two points of victory at 13-8.
Despite a late 3-0 spurt from Maryville, Lewis closed out the five-set thriller with a Buxton kill and Lilly service ace to claim the fifth set, 15-11, and secure the 3-2 match victory.
Earlier in the contest, the Flyers commanded the opening set, holding Maryville to a .068 (8-5-44) hitting percentage while using multiple extended scoring runs to claim a 25-18 victory and take a 1-0 match lead.
Tied at 10-10 midway through the second set, the Saints began to pull away with a 6-3 run, highlighted by a pair of kills from Keele, to take a 16-13 advantage. Maryville kept Lewis at bay the rest of the way and used a 5-0 run to close out the set, 25-18, and even the match at 1-1.
In a tightly contested third set, the Flyers trimmed the Saints' lead to two, 19-17. However, a Lewis service error sparked a 5-0 Maryville run that pushed the Saints ahead, 24-17. Despite a late rally from the Flyers, Maryville held on for a 25-20 victory to take a 2-1 match lead.
With their backs against the wall in the fourth set, the Flyers struck first, scoring 11 of the first 15 points with Buxton accounting for five kills. Lewis never relinquished its lead and used a 7-2 run later in the set to keep Maryville at bay, securing a 25-20 victory and forcing a decisive fifth set.
POSTMATCH COMMENTS
MATCH NOTES
- Today marked the 18th all-time meeting between the two schools and just the second time the Flyers and Saints have played five sets.
- Lewis played its first five-set match since Aug. 28 at D'Youville.
- Lilly recorded five or more service aces for the third time this season.
- Lewis had three players record 10 or more kills for the first time since Sept. 25 at Upper Iowa.
UP NEXT
The Flyers will close out their three-match homestand Tuesday, Oct. 6, at 6 p.m. against Parkside.
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.
