IPFW's Upset Bid of No. 15 Lewis Falls Short in Five

Fort Wayne, IN - A season-best 35 kills from Darryl Shank wasn't enough, as the Mastodons' five-set upset bid of No. 15 Lewis came up just short, 26-30, 30-26, 31-29, 24-30, 13-15.

The 'Dons battled a handful of mistakes in the opening set, hitting just .147 as they racked seven service errors in the first. Lewis extended their advantage to four at 18-14 and maintained the lead to the end, sealing a 30-26 Flyer first set win.

The smooth play of captain Darryl Shank swung the momentum in favor of the home squad to open the second set. Jumping out to a 15-10 lead, the persistent 'Dons pushed the lead to five at 26-21 before a short scare from the Flyers brought the score to a tight 27-25 Mastodon lead. Kills from Ivan Matos and Shank gave IPFW set-point and a Flyer attack error closed out the second set in favor of the 'Dons, 30-26.

Shank logged 10 of his season-high 35 kills in the second frame to lead an IPFW offense that rebounded to post a .318 hitting percentage in set two.

The opening of the third set was a game of runs - to say the least. IPFW rattled off five straight points to take a quick lead. Lewis answered with a seven-point run of their own and, after trading serves, the 'Dons rattled off another five-point run to take a 12-9 lead. Not to be outdone, Lewis took their turn and a 13-12 lead behind four consecutive points.

The streaky play went back and forth and the 'Dons didn't take another lead until Shank's kill gave them a 27-26 late advantage. Matos sailed a kill just wide on set-point at 29-28, but back-to-back kills by senior Oliver Kook slammed the door and the 'Dons took a 2-1 advantage behind a thrilling 31-29 third-set win.

IPFW held strong in the start of set number four, battling out to a 12-11 lead. A five-point Flyer run, including three IPFW errors, pushed the score to 16-12, giving the Flyers a lead they wouldn't surrender through the set. Their lead would grow to as many as six at 20-14 before closing out a commanding 30-24 set win.

That momentum would carry over into the fifth and final set for the Flyers. They used a pair of service aces to jump out to a 8-4 lead at the turn. The Lewis lead extended to five at 11-6 before a valiant last-ditch IPFW cut the score to 14-13. Nathan Klaas closed out the set and the match with a cross-court kill to close out at 15-13.

Shank tallied a season-high 35 kills, coming just four short of his career best 39, set last season at George Mason. Junior libero Shaun Dryden posted a career-high 21 digs and Corey Frain tallied 5.5 blocks (two solo, seven assists) to lead the defensive effort.

The loss drops the 'Dons to 0-3 in conference play and 3-5 overall. Head Coach Arnie Ball will look to get his squad in the conference win column next Friday and Saturday (Feb. 12-13) as they host MIVA newcomer Grand Canyon. First serve is scheduled for 7:00 pm at the Hilliard Gates Sports Center in Fort Wayne. 

~Dons~