Daytona Beach, Fla. – The RV Lewis University women's volleyball team began its trip to the Sunshine State on a winning note, taming Florida Tech, 3-1, on the first day of the Embry-Riddle Invitational Friday evening.
With the win, the Flyers improved to 6-3, while the Panthers fell to 2-6.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Tied 12-12 midway through the first set, the Flyers' offense was cleared for takeoff as an untimely Panthers service error sparked a 7-2 run that vaulted Lewis ahead, 19-14. The Panthers had a response, rattling off four of the next five points to trim the Red and White's lead to two, 20-18. Still, a timely kill from Hannah Dietzenbach (Fall River, Wis./Fall River) spurred the Flyers' set-winning 5-2 run, which was capped by a Sarah Newberry (Fairfield, Ohio/Stephen T Badin) kill to give Lewis the 25-20 set-one win and a 1-0 match lead.
Florida Tech came out firing to begin the second set as it rattled off eight of the first 12 points of the stanza. However, the Flyers chipped away at the Panthers' lead, and a short 4-1 burst, paced by kills from Hadley Rogge (Crystal Lake, Ill./Marian Central Catholic) and Lauren Buxton (Springfield, Ill./Pleasant Plains), tied the set, 9-9. Both sides traded scores throughout the middle of the frame, with the teams tied at 18-18 following another Newberry kill. On the ensuing point, Isabelle Clark tallied her fourth kill of the set to usher in a 7-1 run that broke the deadlock and allowed Florida Tech to tie the match with a 25-19 set-two win.
Tied 5-5 early in the third set, the Flyers took over as a Rogge kill sparked a 7-2 run that propelled Lewis ahead, 12-7. Lewis never looked back, limiting Florida Tech to a .065 (8-6-31) hitting percentage while using a late 6-1 spurt to claim the 25-16 set-three win and take a 2-1 match lead.
In the final stanza, both sides were again deadlocked, this time at 10-10. The Flyers broke the tie first as a Buxton kill sparked a set-best 8-1 run that vaulted the Red and White into the lead for good, 18-11.
Despite a late 4-1 run from the Panthers, the Flyers never relinquished their advantage and tallied the final four points of the match to secure the 25-18 set-four win and 3-1 match victory.
MATCH NOTES
- Lewis hit at a clip of .242 (55-18-153) compared to .218 (45-16-133) for Florida Tech.
- The Flyers are now 4-0 all-time against the Panthers.
- Lewis entered the match receiving votes in the latest AVCA Top 25 Poll.
UP NEXT
The Flyers will face No. 11 Barry and host Embry-Riddle on day two of the Embry-Riddle Invitational Saturday.
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.
