Buffalo, N.Y. – The Lewis University women's volleyball team earned a pair of wins in its 2026 season debut, defeating Pitt-Johnstown, 3-1, and tournament host D'Youville, 3-2, on the first day of the D'Youville Tournament.
HOW IT HAPPENED (VS. PITT-JOHNSTOWN)
Down 1-0 after dropping the first set, 28-26, the Flyers took flight to begin the second set as they rattled off seven of the first 10 points of the new frame, paced by a pair of kills from
Lauren Buxton (Springfield, Ill./Pleasant Plains) and
Marin Grossman (Hortonville, Wis./Hortonville).
The Mountain Cats attempted to trim the Flyers' lead, using a 6-2 run midway through the frame to cut the Lewis advantage to just three, 16-13.
Still, the Flyers weathered the storm, and an untimely service error from Pitt-Johnstown spurred a 9-3 run that gave Lewis the second set, 25-16, and tied the match at one.
Ahead 21-17 late in the third set, Pitt-Johnstown turned the tide as a Kamila Velez kill spurred a 5-1 run that tied the frame at 22-22. Still, the Red and White broke the deadlock as a Pitt-Johnstown service error tipped the score in Lewis' favor, 23-22, before consecutive attack errors from the Mountain Cats sealed the 25-23 set-three win.
Tied 18-18 in another close set, the Flyers nearly secured the match as a Mountain Cats attack error sparked a 5-2 run that moved Lewis to within one of winning, 24-20.
Once again, the Mountain Cats flipped the script as kills from Kiara Harmon and Caroline Knight bookended a short 4-0 spurt that tied the match, 24-24. The Flyers weathered the storm as a kill from
Hannah Dietzenbach (Fall River, Wis./Fall River) and a Pitt-Johnstown attack error secured the 26-24 set win and 3-1 match victory.
Grossman led Lewis in kills with 15, while
Grace Malek (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield South) provided 23 assists in her collegiate debut. Malek also accounted for four of the Flyers' 12 aces in the win.
Kynzie Lilly (Richmond, Texas/Southwest Baptist) notched 10 digs, while Dietzenbach recorded a career-high eight total blocks (one solo, seven assists).
Ellie Cirino paced Pitt-Johnstown in kills with 12, while Knight had 11 of her own. Abby Berry had 23 assists, while Avery Koontz notched 15 digs in the loss.
HOW IT HAPPENED (AT D'YOUVILLE)
Tied 2-2 with the fifth set on deck, the Saints raced out to an early 6-3 advantage. Lewis replied with its own 4-1 spurt, paced by a pair of kills from
Sarah Newberry (Fairfield, Ohio/Stephen T Badin), to tie the match, 7-7. After trading the next few scores, Lewis broke away as a Grossman kill unearthed a 4-1 run that gave Lewis the lead for good, 12-10. Both sides traded the final six scores of the match, with Lewis claiming the final set, 15-13, and winning the match, 3-2.
Earlier in the contest with the match tied, 1-1, Lewis dominated the third set as it hit at a clip of .345 (13-3-29) compared to -.074 (8-10-27) for D'Youville, winning 25-17 and opening up a 2-1 match lead.
Down 10-8 early in the fourth set, Lewis turned the tide as a Buxton kill sparked a 9-2 run that propelled the Flyers ahead, 17-12. Still, the Flyers' advantage was short-lived as D'Youville replied with a 9-4 spurt of its own to tie the set at 21-21. Despite Lewis breaking the deadlock first with a kill from Newberry, D'Youville rattled off four of the final five points of the set to claim the fourth set, 25-23, forcing a fifth set.
Buxton led Lewis with 15 kills, while Grossman put down 12 of her own. Malek chipped in 29 assists, while Lilly (13) and
Elena Gubera (Jamestown, Ind./Western Boone) (11) combined for 24 digs. At the net, Newberry notched seven total blocks (three solo, four assists).
Madeline O'Brien finished with a match-high 16 kills for D'Youville, while Ashley Ballou provided 28 assists. Angelyn Jaramillo had 16 digs in the loss.
MATCH NOTES
- Today was the first time Lewis faced both Pitt-Johnstown and D'Youville in program history.
- Lewis had 10 or more aces in a match for the first time since Sept. 20, 2025, at Embry-Riddle, recording 12 against Pitt-Johnstown.
- Lewis held its opponents to sub-.150 hitting percentages in consecutive matches for the first time since Nov. 14-15, 2025, against Drury (.134) and Southwest Baptist (.146).
- Grossman had 10 or more kills in consecutive matches for the first time since a streak of three straight from Oct. 10-17, 2025.
UP NEXT
Lewis wraps up opening weekend Saturday at the D'Youville Tournament with matches against Lock Haven (10 a.m. EST) and Kutztown (2:30 p.m. EST).
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
