PAINESVILLE, Ohio - The Lake Erie College volleyball team closed out its 2026 season on Saturday afternoon, hosting Kentucky Wesleyan College for its Senior Day contest at the Jerome T. Osborne Center. The Storm battled the Panthers through five sets but ultimately came up short, falling 3-2 (25-20, 26-28, 25-18, 20-25, 11-15).
Before the match, Lake Erie recognized five seniors for their contributions to the program. Lexi Stooksbury, Rori Hanken, Kennady Wiley, Jenna Sayles and Ni'yah Fuggs were honored in a pregame ceremony.
The Storm got off to a strong start, taking the opening set 25-20. Lake Erie recorded 13 kills in the frame and capitalized on seven Kentucky Wesleyan attack errors to take an early lead.
The Panthers responded in the second set, edging Lake Erie in a tightly contested battle, 28-26, to even the match at one set apiece. The Storm bounced back in the third, using another productive offensive performance to claim a 25-18 victory and move within one set of closing out the season with a win.
Kentucky Wesleyan answered once again in the fourth set, pulling away for a 25-20 decision to force a decisive fifth set. The Panthers carried that momentum into the final frame, earning a 15-11 victory to secure the five-set match.
Allison Kirch paced the Storm offensively with 15 kills, while Fuggs added 14 kills and a team-best .423 hitting percentage. Wiley contributed eight kills, while Hanken and Wiley each finished with seven total blocks.
Kylie Anderson directed the Lake Erie offense with 48 assists, while Sayles led the defensive effort with 17 digs. Cecelia Mullen also reached double figures defensively with 14 digs.
Despite the season-ending setback, the Storm concluded the 2026 campaign with a 9-17 overall record and a 6-10 mark in Great Midwest Athletic Conference play. Lake Erie's six conference victories were the most for the program since the 2018 season.
