ROMEOVILLE, Ill. – Sierra Kilbourn tallied 20 kills to help RV Parkside defeat the Lewis women's volleyball team, 3-1, in nonconference action Tuesday evening at Neil Carey Arena.
With the win, the Rangers improved to 11-5, while the Flyers dipped to 11-7.
IMPACT PLAYERS
Along with Kilbourn, Emily Zaper and Maia Olsen had 12 and 11 kills, respectively. Lucy Russ dished out 34 assists for Parkside in the winning effort, while Natalie Harris notched 29 digs to lead the Rangers defensively.
For the Flyers, Sarah Newberry (Fairfield, Ohio/Stephen T Badin) led with 12 kills, while Marin Grossman (Hortonville, Wis./Hortonville) notched 11 of her own. Grace Malek (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield South) tallied 22 assists for Lewis in the loss. Elena Gubera (Jamestown, Ind./Western Boone) amassed 27 digs, while Hannah Dietzenbach (Fall River, Wis./Fall River) tallied a match-high four total blocks at the net (1 solo, 3 assists).
HOW IT HAPPENED
Down 4-2 to start the first set, the Flyers broke away after a Newberry kill sparked an uninterrupted 7-0 run that vaulted them to 9-4. The Red and White kept the Rangers at bay for the remainder of the frame, using multiple scoring spurts to seal the 25-16 set-one win and take a 1-0 match lead.
Despite leading 18-15 late in the second set, the Rangers turned the tide as a Dani Kopacz kill sparked the visitors' own 7-0 run to steal the lead, 22-18. The Flyers tried to turn it around, using a short 4-2 burst led by a pair of Grossman kills to make it 24-22, but the Rangers stopped the comeback with a Kilbourn kill to win 25-22 and tie the match at 1-1.
Tied 17-17 in a back-and-forth third stanza, the Rangers broke away first as they embarked on a 4-1 run, underscored by a pair of Olsen kills, to cling to a slim 21-18 lead. Lewis replied with its own 4-2 run to cut the deficit to one, 23-22. Still, the visitors kept the hosts at bay with two kills to escape the third set with a 25-23 win and take a 2-1 match lead.
Parkside sealed the match in the fourth set, limiting the Flyers to a .044 (7-5-45) hitting percentage to win 25-13 and take the 3-1 win.
MATCH NOTES
- Today marked the 69th all-time meeting between Lewis and Parkside and the first regular-season meeting since the 2019 season.
- The Rangers are led by Lewis women's volleyball alumna Leigh Barea (2011-14).
- Parkside is the sixth opponent the Flyers have faced this year that is either ranked or receiving votes.
- Grossman eclipsed the double-digit mark in kills for the 10th time this season and the third consecutive match.
UP NEXT
The Flyers will head across state lines to face No. 23 Indianapolis on Oct. 10 at 1 p.m. local time.
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
