Lewis pulled out a four-set win against NKU on Saturday in Regents Hall.
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HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – Stephanie Sagat hammered down 16 kills and attacked at a .441 clip Saturday afternoon as Lewis University won its 15th consecutive match with a four-set victory against Northern Kentucky University.
Sagat also recorded nine digs as Lewis won the Great Lakes Valley Conference volleyball showdown and improved to 18-3 overall. The Flyers, ranked 13th nationally in the NCAA Division II poll, remained perfect (8-0) in the GLVC and avenged two losses against NKU late last season.
Noelle Peterson finished with 18 kills and a .419 hitting percentage to lead NKU, which dropped to 15-7 overall, 6-2 in the GLVC. The Norse managed to hit just .105 as a team and were unable to contain Sagat's blistering attack on the outside.
Tied at 4-all, Lewis used a 9-2 run in the opening set to build a 13-7 lead. The Flyers blocked four NKU attacks for points during that spurt, including consecutive block assists by Rachel Ruedi and Kim Richards on two Peterson attempts.
Lewis used a 7-2 run in the second set to extend a 16-15 lead into a 23-17 advantage. Sagat capped that stanza with a pair of kills to give the Flyers a two-set lead.
NKU battled back in the third set and attacked at a .467 clip to take a 25-22 win. Peterson sparked the third-set victory by slamming down seven kills in eight attempts, while
Kim Nemcek added five kills in seven attempts.
Lewis sealed the win in the fourth set with a 5-1 run that extended a 16-14 lead to a 21-15 advantage.
Sara deBuhr added 10 kills for Lewis, which hit .235 as a team. Ruedi finished with 40 assists, six kills and a .333 hitting percentage for the Flyers.
Nemcek collected a double-double with 13 kills and 11 digs for NKU.
Sarah Drennen added eight kills, while
Chelsea Clark led the defense with 21 digs.
Jenna Schreiver dished out 39 assists and finished with 12 digs.
NKU travels to Lansing, Mich., next weekend for the regional crossover tournament that features the GLVC taking on the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. Pairings will be announced Sunday night.
