Denver, Colo. – Playing in the Gold Bracket, the Lewis University women's volleyball team fell to No. 14 Angelo State, 3-0, and No. 2 Wayne State (Neb.), 3-1, on day two of the Colorado Premier Challenge.
The Flyers' record moved to 5-3 at the conclusion of the weekend.
HOW IT HAPPENED (VS. NO. 14 ANGELO STATE)
Tied 10-10 in the first set, the Rams broke away as a Sydney Thorton kill sparked a 6-2 run that gave Angelo State a 16-12 edge. Both sides traded the next few points, but a late 6-2 spurt from the Rams helped Angelo State win the first set, 25-18, and take a 1-0 match lead.
Lewis was cleared for takeoff early in the second set as the Red and White rattled off four of the first five points of the frame. The Rams and Flyers exchanged points throughout the middle of the stanza, but a 5-1 run by the Flyers, paced by a pair of kills from
Sarah Newberry (Fairfield, Ohio/Stephen T Badin), expanded their lead to a set-best seven points, 20-13.
However, the Rams flipped the script, closing the frame on a 12-2 run to stun the Flyers and steal the second set, 25-22, moving within one set of completing the sweep.
Tied 21-21 late in an airtight third frame, the Rams broke the deadlock first as a Julia Hopkins kill made it a 22-21 contest. Lewis responded on the next point with another Newberry kill to again tie the set, 22-22. Still, the Rams answered, scoring three of the final four points to win the set, 25-23, and secure the sweep.
Hopkins paced the Rams with a team-best 11 kills, while Gabi Ashcraft dished out 19 assists. Madi Parrish notched 14 digs, while Angelo State posted a .274 (48-16-117) hitting percentage compared to Lewis' clip of .196 (36-14-112)
Lauren Buxton (Springfield, Ill./Pleasant Plains) tied the match-high in kills with 11, while
Grace Malek (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield South) provided 19 assists.
Elena Gubera (Jamestown, Ind./Western Boone) tallied 14 digs, while Newberry notched three total blocks, all assisted, at the net.
HOW IT HAPPENED (VS. NO. 2 WAYNE STATE (NEB.))
Playing their highest nationally ranked opponent of the 2026 campaign, the Flyers took off early. Holding a slim 8-7 edge, a timely
Marin Grossman (Hortonville, Wis./Hortonville) kill sparked a match-best 7-1 run that gave Lewis a 15-8 cushion.
Both sides exchanged the next handful of points, but Lewis expanded its lead to a set-best nine with a 5-1 run, highlighted by back-to-back service aces, to make it 22-13. Both sides exchanged the final six points of the set, with consecutive Wayne State errors sealing the Flyers' 25-16 victory in the opening frame.
The Wildcats flipped the script in set two, posting a .379 (13-2-29) hitting percentage while limiting the Flyers to a -.114 (6-10-35) clip to claim a 25-9 victory and tie the match at 1-1.
Wayne State pounced early in the third stanza, scoring four of the first five points of the set, underscored by back-to-back kills from Chloe Hanel. The Wildcats and Flyers traded the next handful of points, but Lewis' foe pulled away for good with a 6-2 spurt that pushed its lead to 13-7.
Despite an ensuing 4-0 run that trimmed the Wayne State lead to two, 13-11, the Wildcats never relinquished their advantage and kept the Red and White at bay for the remainder of the set, winning 25-21 to take a 2-1 match lead.
Wayne State sealed the match in set four, posting a match-best .419 (13-0-31) hitting percentage to down Lewis, 25-14, and secure the 3-1 victory.
Channatee Robles notched a match-best 17 kills, while Molly Romano provided 31 assists in the win. Anna Borner amassed 18 digs as Wayne State hit at a .234 (48-15-141) clip compared to Lewis' .100 (43-28-150) percentage.
Grossman paced the Flyers with 14 kills, while Buxton added 11 of her own to go along with 12 digs for her second double-double of the weekend. Malek dished out 19 assists for the Flyers. On the defensive side of the ball, Gubera notched 13 digs, while Newberry posted five assisted blocks at the net.
MATCH NOTES
- Today marked the third all-time meeting between both teams.
- Lewis faced an opponent ranked in the top two nationally for the first time since Dec. 6, 2004, when it faced No. 1 Ferris State in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
- The Flyers played four consecutive matches against teams ranked in the top-25 or receiving votes for the first time since Sept. 13-14, 2024, also at the Colorado Premier Tournament.
- Malek has posted 10-or-more assists in every match she has played this season.
UP NEXT
The Flyers will head to Daytona Beach, Fla., to compete in the Embry-Riddle Invitational from Sept. 11-12.
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
