Painesville, Ohio – The Lake Erie College volleyball team rallied after dropping the opening set to defeat Tiffin University 3-1 on Friday evening at the Jerome T. Osborne Center. The Storm earned the Great Midwest Athletic Conference victory by scores of 17-25, 25-16, 25-22, and 25-21.
The match also carried a meaningful message beyond the court, as Lake Erie raised awareness for breast cancer and domestic violence, using the evening to support important causes and promote awareness throughout the campus community.
Lake Erie responded to the opening-set setback with a strong second set, hitting .314 while limiting Tiffin to a .028 attack percentage. The Storm carried that momentum into the third set, recording 19 kills to take a 2-1 lead before closing out the match with a 25-21 decision in the fourth.
Allison Kirch led the Storm offensively with 22 kills, while
Kennedy Stewart added 12 and
Sadie Nawrocki contributed 10.
Kylie Anderson orchestrated the offense with 54 assists, helping Lake Erie finish with 60 kills and a .244 hitting percentage. Anderson surpassed 1,000 career assists in the win, achieving the feat over 166 sets in her Storm career thus far.
Bella Kessler paced the defensive effort with 22 digs, while
Dylan Fox added nine. At the net,
Ni'yah Fuggs recorded five blocks, and Stewart and
Nora Larson finished with four blocks apiece. Kessler,
Kennady Wiley and
Paige Jestadt each contributed two service aces.
Lake Erie finished with advantages in kills (60-50), assists (58-47) and blocks (9-8), helping the Storm secure the four-set victory.
The win moved Lake Erie to 8-9 overall and 5-5 in G-MAC play, while Tiffin fell to 2-14 overall and 2-5 in conference action.
The Storm return to action next weekend at the Midwest Region Crossover Tournament in Hammond, Indiana.
