LINCOLN, Ill. – The Olivet Nazarene University women's volleyball team traveled south to Lincoln College on Saturday afternoon.  The Tigers win their fourth straight five-set match, 3-2. 

The two teams started the first set trading the first 10 points.  Deadlocked at seven all, Becca Bell marked a kill and Katarina Nikolic sent over an ace to make the score, 10-7.  Lincoln then grabbed the momentum.  With ONU up 12-10, the Lynx marked seven of the next nine points to take a 17-14 lead.  The Tigers then took advantage of the Lynx errors and scored five of the next six points to make the score 19 all.  The Tigers carried that momentum and notched six of the final seven points and won the opening set, 25-20.  Sutton Bate, Carleigh Johnson, and Bell provided the offense for the Tigers in the final points of the set. 

The Lynx jumped out to a 6-4 lead in the first 10 points of the second set.  Lincoln kept its foot on the gas the middle of the set and led by as much as four.  Then, at 19-15, a kill by Rachel Newport and an ace by Janelle Skinner highlighted a stretch where the Tigers tied the match at 19.  Unfortunately, an onslaught of offense by Lincoln was enough for them to win the second set, 25-20. Lincoln, like the second set, jumped out in front and took a 7-3 lead early. The Tigers trailed by as much as five in the set, but came back and cut the lead to one.  At 19-14, three kills by Bell and a kill by Bate made the score 19-18.  That was the closest the Tigers got as they dropped the third set, 25-21.

With the Lynx up 7-5, early, the Tigers took control of the set.  ONU took advantage of Lincoln's errors and saw timely offense as they scored 9 of the next 10 points.  The Tigers led 14-8.  Nikolic tallied three kills during that stretch.  The Tigers then let the Lynx back into the set as they closed the gap to four at 20-16.  A kill by Bell, Newport, and Nikolic lifted the Tigers over the Lynx, 25-20, to force a fifth set. 

The Tigers came out of the break firing and led 4-1 early.  Bell and Skinner recorded kills during that stretch.  ONU never trailed in the fifth set as they saw 14 of their 15 points scored via the kill. 

The Tigers survive their fourth straight five-set contest winning, 3-2. 

GAME VITALS

Finals: First Set: ONU 25, LC 20 | Second Set: LC 25, ONU 20 | Third Set: LC 25, ONU 21 | Fourth Set: ONU 25, LC 20 | Fifth Set: ONU 15, LC 12

Records: Olivet Nazarene: 11-5 (7-2 CCAC) | Lincoln College: 3-16 (1-7 CCAC)

Location: Lincoln Center | Lincoln College (Ill.) | Lincoln, Ill.

QUICK HITS

• Bell recorded a career-high 21 kills and hit .543 to lead the Tigers. 
• Newport followed Bell, notching 12 kills and hit .455. 
• Kaitlyn McMahan led the Tigers with 20 digs, while Skinner and Johnson followed with 14 and 12, respectively.
• Skinner had 26 assists to lead the Tigers, while Hadleigh Loitz tallied 14. 
• Bell amassed six blocks while Newport marked five blocks and Bate had four. 

WHAT'S NEXT?

The Tigers welcome the Wolves of Cardinal Stritch to McHie Arena on Tuesday, October 5.  The opening set is set for 7 p.m.

--ONU—

*Contact: Sam Viebrock, Sports Information Director, stviebrock@olivet.edu