PAINESVILLE, Ohio- The Lake Erie College volleyball team rallied at the right time as the Storm took the lead late in the fifth set to defeat the Findlay Oilers 3-2 on Friday (Oct.28) night. Lake Erie led 2-0 but Findlay changed the momentum, forcing a fifth set.

Lake Erie moved up in the running for a GLIAC Tournament spot as they improved to 15-12 overall and 6-5 in the GLIAC.

Findlay controlled the momentum for the majority of the first set as they led by as much as four. The Oilers led 18-14 before the Storm went on a 6-2 run, tying the set at 20 with an Oilers timeout. Lake Erie fell behind 22-20 but Lake Erie rallied back with a 6-2 run to take the first set 26-24.

Set two was all Lake Erie as the Storm turned a one point lead at 7-6 and turned it into a 15-9 lead before a timeout. Lake Erie won the second set 25-15.

Findlay led most of the third set and by as many as six. Lake Erie trailed 17-12 after a timeout and came back to tie the game at 17 with a 5-0 run. The Storm took their first lead of the set at 21-20 but the Oilers took a run to the win in the third set 25-22.

Lake Erie led the fourth set 2-0 but the Oilers roared to a 25-14 win to force a fifth and final set.

In the fifth set, Findlay led until the Storm tied it 6-6. The Oilers regained the lead before a tie occurred at nine all. Lake Erie took the lead and won the match on an Alexis Thomas (Cincinnati, Ohio / Fairfield) block on the third match point attempt.

Bethany Fisher (Orrville, Ohio / Dalton) led the Storm with 20 kills. Brooke Peiffer (Lansing, Mich. / Holt) was behind her with a double-double, including 18 kills and 14 digs. Three Storm players, Sidney Fletcher (Saline, Mich. / Saline), Crystal Kedroske (Dexter, Mich. / Dexter) and Jamie Riley (Prospect, Ohio / Olentangy) all had double-digit digs. Fletcher had a match-high 18 digs. Lee Lee Barrett (Chattanooga, Tenn. / Ooltewah) had seven kills and four solo blocks and three block assists.

The Storm will host Wayne State and Wheeling Jesuit with a tri-match on Saturday (Oct. 29). 

-LEC-