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 The event featured 21 teams from colleges and universities across
the mid-west and was hosted by the University of Missouri in
Columbia, MO. The LC Sophomore team went 5-3 to earn a 2nd place
finish, and the Freshman squad went 2-3 to finish in a tie for 9th.
In pool play on Saturday, both teams went 2-0 to win their opening
round pools. The Freshman team upset the #3 seed in the tournament,
Missouri S&T (25-18, 25-22) and avenged a couple of early season
losses by defeating Wheaton College in straight sets (25-16, 25-20).
However, neither team did well in their next set of pool play
matches going 0-2 with the Sophomore team dropping matches to the
Missouri B team and Missouri S&T. The Freshman fell to Truman State
and UIC.
On Sunday, the Freshman team lost their first match of single
elimination play with a tough 16-25, 30-32 loss to Missouri State.
The Sophomore team was able to defeat Bradley University 26-24,
26-24 then got revenge on the Mizzou B team 26-24, 25-23 to reach
the final four round of play. In that round, they faced Missouri
State and took the first set 25-23 before dropping set two 20-25.
In set three the Lynx were down late but rallied behind the serves
of Adam Krzos and the strong hitting of Manuel Benitez to pull off a
15-13 come from behind win. That put LC in the championship match
against the University of Missouri A team which came in undefeated
in MWPVC play and ranked #4 in the nation among DI club teams.
Lincoln was overpowered in set one 25-12 but was able to rebound and
take set two in dramatic fashion.
With the team facing match point at 24-18, sophomore setter
Lukasz Kupiec found middle hitter Michael Wesley for a kill, then
Wesley went behind the service line and served seven points in a row
to help the Lynx stun the Tigers for a 26-24 set win. This would
turn out to be the only set MU would drop the whole tournament as
they jumped out to a quick lead in set three then pulled away for a
15-6 win.
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LC outside hitter Manuel Benitez tips over the Wash U block during
pool play on
Saturday.
LC Coach Mark Tippett: "I could not have been more proud of the way
our teams competed this weekend. The freshman team showed an
incredible amount of growth at this event by defeating top level
teams and battling hard in every set. Our Sophomores came through
time and time again to hold off some very tough opponents. I can't
say enough about how hard they worked and the way they stuck
together through adversity. The wins they earned on Saturday were
all nail-biters, but time and time again we came through in the
clutch which says a lot for one of the youngest teams in the
conference. The Mizzou A team is among the best Division I teams in
the country and for our guys to be the last DII team standing and to
give them a battle in the championship match is an amazing
accomplishment."
Lincoln is back in action on Tuesday with a road match at St.
Ambrose University.
[Coach Mark Tippett] |
