Grace beats (RV) Lindsey Wilson for ninth straight win
FORT WAYNE, Ind. – Grace’s volleyball team had to battle bravely to extend its winning streak to nine on Friday.
The No. 14 Lancers came from behind to beat Lindsey Wilson in five sets, topping the Blue Raiders (who are receiving votes in the NAIA poll).
Grace (15-2) began the opening set with a quick 8-4 spurt, but the Blue Raiders countered with a 7-2 run to take the lead.
The teams could not be separated until the end of the set. Lindsey Wilson (16-5) pulled away late with three straight points, serving for the set with a 24-21 lead. Grace tried to recover with two points, but LWC held on for the slight 25-23 win.
The Blue Raiders enjoyed 16 kills in the set on a .229 percentage while Grace had 11 kills.
Grace found itself behind in the second set at 14-10. But the Lancers showed resolve.
Grace erupted with a 9-1 run to take a 19-15 lead. Jadyn Ross played a key role with a part in two blocks with a kill, and Livia Tate also had a kill and a block on consecutive plays.
Lindsey Wilson had another run, however, and eventually snuck in front 24-23. But Grace scored three points on kills from Anna Elkin, Alisha Voss and Ross to win in extra points 27-25.
Both teams hit the ball well with 29 combined kills, but Grace had three block points to aid its cause.
LWC built up another lead in the third set. The Blue Raiders grabbed a comfortable eight-point cushion; this time, they prevented a Grace comeback and secured the 25-18 win to go ahead in the match.
Grace had 13 kills but also had eight attack errors in the set. LWC also aced four times.
The Lancers refused to go down and struck back with a fourth-set victory.
Midway into the set, Grace scored four straight to gain separation. Late in the set, Grace enjoyed another 4-0 run thanks to two aces from Ross.
Sahara Bee then ended the set with two consecutive kills as the Lancers forced a tiebreaker with the 25-18 victory.
Grace pushed ahead in the fifth set with five unanswered points; Elkin had two kills during the decisive run.
The Lancers surged ahead 14-10 but had to withstand one final push from LWC. Grace’s lead dwindled down to one until Voss wrapped up the 15-13 win with a kill on the last swing of the match.
Elkin was an offensive force with 15 kills on a .324 percentage, adding 5 digs, 1 solo block and 1 block assist. Ross was also heavily involved with 10 kills, 9 digs, 3 aces, 1 solo block and 2 block assists.
Voss finished with 11 kills and two block assists, Tate amassed seven kills and seven block assists.
Bee added eight kills with three block assists, while Leah Henderson chipped in five kills with three block assists.
Both of Grace’s setters had double-doubles, including 26 assists and 10 digs from Riley Owens and 20 assists and 16 digs from Morgan Syoen.
Liz Schmidt paced the back row with 18 digs and two aces, Blackford aced three times, and McKenzie Stakely had nine digs.
The Lancers will play twice tomorrow in Fort Wayne, taking on Cornerstone at 2 p.m. and Indiana Tech at 4 p.m.