LC Volleyball Opens Season with five Set Win

[August 22, 2019] 

The Lincoln College Women’s Volleyball team got the 2019 season started on Tuesday evening with a thrilling five-set victory. LC had to overcome a tough challenge from the visiting Indiana University Northwest Red Hawks, a team that went 27-12 last season and made an appearance in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) National Tournament.

The Lady Lynx came out strong in set one, jumping out to a 4-0 lead. Middle hitter Amazing Ashby (Aurora, CO) was a force at the net right away, recording two blocks and disrupting several IUNW attack attempts throughout the early going of the match. However, the Red Hawks were able to recover and eventually tied the score at 10-10 then went on to win set one 25-22.

Lincoln regrouped in set two and the two teams traded side outs and small leads all the way up to a 22-22 tie. At that point, an IUNW hitting error gave Lincoln the lead and sent sophomore setter Morgan Lolling (Lincoln) behind the serving line. Lolling was able to connect with junior Tyra Luckett (Chicago) for a kill to put LC up 24-22 and another Red Hawk hitting error sealed the set two win for Lincoln 25-22.

The Lady Lynx were unable to capitalize on their set two win and had trouble connecting throughout set three. The result was a 25-19 loss that increased the pressure on the team to win set four in order to extend the match. LC came out in the next set determined to do just that and picked up their game on offense. The team’s increased effort paid off with back-to-back kills by senior Mikayla Seibert (Mackinaw) that put Lincoln up 7-3. Indiana University was not ready to let LC have the win without a fight though and came back to tie the score at 13-13. From there the two teams played out several long rallies with neither side being able to build much of a lead. Eventually the score stood 22-22. The LC defense was then able to force three hitting errors including a solo block from senior right side hitter Mattie Giese (Highland Park) to win the set 25-23 and force a deciding set to 15.

In the final set, it was IU-Northwest that took command early going up 7-4. Lincoln responded with a kill from Mikayla Seibert which was followed by a kill from fellow senior Hannah Cameron (Lincoln) and an IUNW hitting error to tie the score at 7-7. The Red Hawks regrouped and won the next three points to claim a three-point lead at 10-7. Lincoln still trailed by three at 12-9 when a Mattie Giese kill stopped the bleeding and gave setter Morgan Lolling the opportunity to serve.

Lolling would deliver three straight points to put Lincoln ahead for the first time in the set 13-12. Indiana managed a side out to tie the score once again at 13-13. On the next volley, Lolling received a pass that was tight to the net which she attempted to send over, but the ball caught the top of the tape and rolled over for a point to put Lincoln up 14-13. IUNW managed to stay alive with a kill on the next play, but Mikayla Seibert then delivered a side out kill to give LC another match-point opportunity. This time, the Lady Lynx were able to force another IU hitting error to take the set 16-14 and end the match.

Senior right side hitter Mikayla Seibert led all LC hitters with 13 kills on the night. Outside hitter Josalyn Owens (Lincoln) had nine kills while Mattie Giese and Hannah Cameron chipped in eight kills each. Setters Emma Derry (Augusta) and Morgan Lolling shared the setting duties nearly evenly with Derry recording 24 set assists and Lolling 23. Libero Megan Gilliam (Waterloo) led the defensive effort for LC with 25 digs. Cameron and Derry also reached double-digits in digs with Cameron tallying 19 and Derry 17.

Lincoln Head Coach Mark Tippett was happy with the start his team is off to this season. “We got a good test in our first match this year and it was great to see our players respond the way they did in high-pressure situations,” said Tippett. “Our team chemistry definitely got better as the match went on, and I think we will continue to improve the more comfortable our players get playing together.”

Lincoln (1-0) will host MacMurray College on Thursday evening at 7:00 PM for a scrimmage match then will travel to Chicago for a triangular at Roosevelt University on Saturday.

[Mark Tippett
Lincoln College
Sports Information]