Women's Volleyball Drops Pair of Matches at Benedictine Invite

[October 30, 2018] 

The Lincoln College Women’s Volleyball team participated in a pair of matches at the Benedictine University Invite on Saturday. Lincoln did not face the host school at the event, instead matching up against Elmhurst College (NCAADIII) and Concordia University of Chicago (NCAADIII). The Lady Lynx battled hard throughout the day but ended up losing both matches in three sets.

LC started their day with a matchup against the Elmhurst College Blue Jays. In the first set neither team was able to gain much momentum as they traded small leads up to a 24-24 tie score. By that point, Lincoln had used up all of its substitutions and had to switch to a one-setter offense instead of their usual two-setter system. The Lady Lynx were able to stay competitive despite the unfamiliar circumstances. On the next volley, an Elmhurst hitting error gave Lincoln the first set-point opportunity. LC outside hitter Mikayla Seibert (Mackinaw) served for the win, but the Blue Jays were able to manage a side out which was followed by a Lincoln hitting error and another Elmhurst kill to turn the tables on LC and take the set 27-25.

In set two Lincoln was plagued by off-target passes and hitting errors which put them behind early. The Lady Lynx were unable to recover from their early set miscues and suffered a 25-12 loss.

Set three looked to be a return to form for the LC as they passed better and their defensive intensity returned which helped them to keep the score close. The two teams traded side outs and small leads all the way up to a 17-17 tie. Elmhurst then grabbed the momentum and went on a 5-point run to take back control and eventually won the set 25-20 to end the match.

“Elmhurst played a smart match,” said LC Coach Mark Tippett. “They tipped on us a lot and seemed to find every hole in our defense. Running out of subs in the first and third sets did not help, but we still played hard and made them work for the win.”

Mikayla Seibert led all hitters for Lincoln with 12 kills against Elmhurst. Right side hitter Mattie Giese (Highland Park) contributed six blocks and setter Emma Derry (Augusta) had 13 set assists. Libero Melanie Murray (Chicago) led LC with 17 digs in the match.

Lincoln did not have time to dwell on the loss to Elmhurst as they moved right into their next match against Concordia University of Chicago.

In set one, the strength of the CU offense combined with several Lincoln hitting errors to keep the Lady Lynx from gaining any momentum on their way to a 25-13 loss.

Lincoln was able to regroup and made the next two sets much more competitive. In set two, LC cut down on their hitting errors and found ways to slow down the CU attack. The two teams worked their way to a 22-22 tie score, but an LC attack error and a CU ace serve gave Concordia their first set-point opportunity up 24-22. At this point Lincoln was again out of substitutions, however, Mikayla Seibert came through with a kill for a side out to keep LC’s hopes alive. Unfortunately for LC, Concordia got the next point to fall their way for a narrow 25-23 win to go up two-sets-to-none.

Set three was another back-and-forth affair as the two teams again battled hard and played out several long rallies on their way to a 23-23 tie score. A Concordia service error gave Lincoln their first set-point opportunity of the match, but CU was able to side out after another long rally then score two more points to take the win 26-24 and end the match.

LC junior Mattie Giese recorded a team-high 11 kills in the match. Emma Derry again led in set assists with 14 while freshman setter Morgan Lolling (Lincoln) had 12. Libero Melanie Murray equaled her first match total in digs with 17.

Lincoln Coach Mark Tippett was positive about the outcome of the event for his team. “We faced a couple of very tough teams today. They had strong offensive players and knew how to play defense with intensity,” he said. “Even though we did not win a set, we were extremely competitive, as the scores would indicate, which shows we have the ability to compete with established varsity programs.”

LC (17-15) will finish up their season this week with road matches at Blackburn on Tuesday, Missouri Baptist University on Thursday and at the University of Illinois Springfield on Friday.

[Mark Tippett
Lincoln College
Sports Information]