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T h ur sday, Septem ber 10, 2015 | bug lenew spapers.com
LEWIS
Volleyball opens season 3-1 at Cal State L.A. Tournament The Lewis University women’s volleyball team picked up a pair of wins on Saturday (Sept. 5) during the final day of Cal State Los Angeles’ Tournament. Lewis defeated Seattle Pacific 3-0 (2517, 25-22, 25-17) and Dixie State 3-1 (19-25, 25-20, 27-25, 25-23).
Lewis 3, Seattle Pacific 0 The Flyers cruised to the straight-sets victory thanks to a .323 to .075 hitting percentage. Freshman McKenna Pierson (Ankeny, Iowa/Ankeny Centennial) had 20 assists while redshirt freshman Abby Becker (Monomonee Falls, Wis./ Monomonee Falls) totaled 13 assists. They ran an offense which saw five Flyers record six or more kills. Freshman Elizabeth Hyland (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield Central) had eight kills to go with her 11 digs. Senior Cassidy Parsons (Elkhart, Ind./Elkhart Memorial) notched nine kills and eight digs. Lewis out-blocked Seattle Pacific 12-2 with sophomore Aly Schneider (Granger, Ind./Penn) notching eight blocks (four solo). The match had only eight ties and two lead changes. Both lead changes came early in the first set.
Lewis 3, Dixie State 1 The Flyers bounced back from
an opening game setback to win the next three games. Where Lewis’ early match lacked drama, the Dixie State match had 28 ties and 11 lead changes. The Flyers held a 21-19 lead in the third set, only to see Dixie State push back to tie it at 23 and earn set point at 25-24. A Dixie State service error and a Parsons kill gave Lewis set point. Dixie State Delayne Daniel tried the corner on an attack attempt on the next point and missed to give Lewis point 27 and the win. A 7-2 run in the fourth set put the Flyers up 19-13. A victory seemed imminent but then Dixie State went on a 7-0 run. However Dixie State’s 21-20 lead was brief. Parsons gave Lewis match point thanks to a kill for point 24 and then junior Nicole Yuede (St. Charles, Mo./Francis Howell North) dropped a serve in the middle of the court for an ace and point 25. Yuede finished with 23 digs. Hyland led Lewis offensively with 17 kills. Parsons hit .393 with 14 kills while adding 13 digs. “As a team they are doing a great job of making adjustments when I constantly throw in new lineups,” Lewis head coach Lorelee Smith said. “I am hoping chemistry will continue to improve so wins can come easier.” The wins move Lewis to 3-1. Dixie State is 2-2. Seattle Pacific is 1-3. A day earlier, Lewis opened the
season with a split at Cal State LA’s tournament on Friday (Sept. 4). The Flyers topped Molloy 3-1 (23-25, 25-13, 25-12, 25-20) while falling to host Cal State LA 3-1 (25-13, 25-16, 19-25, 26-24) in the second and final match of the night.
Lewis 3, Molloy 1 Senior Alexis Davito (Crest Hill, Ill./Lockport) hit .765 with 13 kills and no errors on 17 swings. Freshman Elizabeth Hyland (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield Central) had an impressive debut, recording a double-double of 12 kills and 14 digs. Sophomore Maddie Seliga (St. Louis, Mo./ Nerinx Hall) (10) and Nicole Yuede (St. Charles, Mo./Francis Howell North) (13) each added double-digit digs Lewis dropped the first set, but cruised from that point forward. The Flyers’ dominance was highlighted by an 11-1 lead in the third set. Sophomore Aly Schneider (Granger, Ind./Penn) had a kill for match point.
Cal State LA 3, Lewis 1 The Flyers struggled out of the gates in the nightcap to the Golden Eagles. Following the rough start, Lewis rebounded with a six-point win in set three. The closest set was the fourth, featuring 16 ties and five lead changes. The Flyers were up 2119 before Cal State LA went on a 4-0 run. The Flyers rallied to tie the score at 24 but a pair of Lewis attack errors followed to give the set and the match to Cal State LA. Davito finished with 12 kills. Freshman McKenna Pierson (Ankeny, Iowa/Ankeny Centennial) totaled 24 assists while adding nine digs and two aces. “For our first games of the season we were able to grow and build chemistry,” Smith said. “We have a long way to go in order to reach our goals but if everyone commits I believe we have the talent.” Lewis continues play on Friday and Saturday in the Flyer Festival. The tournament hosted by Lewis will be held at Neil Carey Arena with matches starting at 8 a.m. both days.