FORT WAYNE, Ind. – On the second day of the Conference Crossover, the Lindsey Wilson volleyball team ended its weekend on a positive note with a two-match split inside the Turnstone Athletic Center.
The Blue Raiders began the day with another five-set nail-bitter against Cornerstone (Mich.) before closing out Rio Grande (Ohio) in a sweep.
Ola Wyrzykowska averaged 3.25 kills per set and led the offense on the day with 26 total. The junior also added 32 digs and eight service aces.
Luiza Gonçalves racked up 11 aces from the service line to go along with her 78 assists and 25 digs, and
Elizabeth Moore became the 35
th Blue Raider all-time and the fourth different this season to record their 500
th career kill.
Match One: (RV) Lindsey Wilson 2, Cornerstone (Mich.) 3
A two-set lead and a season-high 17 service aces for the Blue Raiders were not enough to fend off the Golden Eagles in the first match of the day.
Lindsey Wilson trailed 20-15 in the first frame when a Wyrzykowska kill sparked a 9-0 run. During that span, Gonçalves laid down four of her eight service aces and contributed one assist as the Blue Raiders cruised in front to take the set 25-22.
The following set, the Golden Eagles led 11-9 before an electric 15-2 Lindsey Wilson rally, including a series of 11 consecutive points, gave the Blue Raiders a comfortable 24-13 lead. Cornerstone tacked on two additional points of its own, but
Lara Danesi hammered down one of her nine kills to clinch the set.
Both sides put up 20 points in the third and fourth frames. However, strong finishes by the Golden Eagles in each allowed them to come back to tie the match at 2-2.
Cornerstone maintained its momentum into the tiebreaker and outraced Lindsey Wilson 15-11.
Three different Blue Raiders contributed 20 or more digs.
Autumn McCutchen and Gonçalves each notched career bests with 22 and 21, respectively, while Wyrzykowska tied a personal best with 20 digs.
Match Two: (RV) Lindsey Wilson 3, Rio Grande (Ohio) 0
Lindsey Wilson collected its 12
th sweep of the season to wrap up the weekend, outhitting the Red Storm .298 to .147 and dropping a dozen service aces to Rio Grande's four.
Kills from
Elisa Burzio, Danesi, and Moore guided the Blue Raiders to 5-1 lead to open the first set. The onslaught continued as Lindsey Wilson hit .429 with 18 kills to dominate the opener 25-14.
Rio Grande appeared to have control of the middle frame, thanks in part to a 9-0 run to put the Red Storm ahead 14-3. The designated visitors had pushed their advantage to 21-9 when an emphatic strike from Moore sent a spark through the Blue Raiders. A 12-point deficit was quickly erased by a 16-1 streak, during which Lindsey Wilson produced four kills, three service aces, one block, and utilized eight additional errors by the Red Storm.
The final set of the day saw Lindsey Wilson come out with a 7-1 lead, featuring kills from Moore and Wyrzykowska, plus three more aces. Rio Grande attempted to crawl back, even cutting the Blue Raiders' edge to a single point but no further. Back-to-back kills by Burzio ultimately sealed the match.
McCutchen paced the defense in the second match, recording 16 digs. Wyrzykowska added 12 digs.
Lindsey Wilson returns to Kentucky on Tuesday, October 8 for a Mid-South, junior varsity and varsity doubleheader at Georgetown (Ky.) beginning at 4 p.m. CST.
