SOUTHFIELD, Mich. -- The (RV) Lawrence Technological (Mich.) University women's volleyball team defeated Indiana Tech 3-1 (25-21, 27-25, 27-29, 25-15) on Saturday afternoon at Don Ridler Field House.
Lawrence Tech (12-6, 6-3) trailed 6-2 early in the opening set, but Varvara Gromakova (JR/Moscow, Russia) made it 6-3 with a kill. She then served four straight points as Zakia Hunt (JR/Livonia, Mich.) closed the 5-0 run with a kill to make it 7-6. The teams went back-and-forth over the next few points, but the Blue Devils rallied off four of the next six points as Nichole Hyduk (FR/Macomb, Mich.) served LTU into a 12-8 lead as Indiana Tech had four straight errors.
Indiana Tech (12-8, 6-4) fought back to within one at 15-14, but Lawrence Tech was too much in this set as they went up 24-18 and closed the set 25-21. In set two, the Blue Devils and Warriors went back-and-forth as the set was tied 16 times, the last at 25-25. Lawrence Tech ended the set with a block by Hunt and Kristi Doherty (JR/Davison, Mich.) to take it 27-25.
The Warriors opened set three with a 3-1 lead, but Lawrence Tech tied it at 4-4 with a kill by Isabella McDonald (SO/Farmington, Michigan) and Alysha Vipushan (FR/Tecumseh, Ontario) gave the Blue Devils the lead at 5-4. The teams battled back-and-forth as the match went point-for-point down the stretch. After the Warriors took a 16-13 lead, Lawrence Tech tied it at 18-18 on a bad set from Indiana Tech and took a 21-20 lead on an attack error. However, the Warriors earned the tied it at 25-25, 27-27 and took the set 29-27 with a kill from Courtney Mack to make it 2-1 Lawrence Tech.
In the final set, it was all Lawrence Tech as Doherty took control of the game, down 9-7, she served the next 10 points to give the Blue Devils a 17-9 lead. Indiana Tech got it down to five at 19-14, but Gromakova served LTU to a 24-14 lead with McDonald getting the final point on a kill from Doherty to win the match 3-1.
Lawrence Tech was led by Hunt with 15 kills and a .583 hitting percentage, making just one error. Gromakova recorded 10 hits and just two errors on 28 attacks with a .286 hitting percentage. Doherty had 50 assists, 14 digs, and two kills with three service aces. Jessica Lodge (SO/Macomb, Mich.) added 12 kills while Dacey Cook (SR/Potterville, Mich.) finished with four block assists.
Lawrence Tech is back on the court Wednesday, October 3 when they host Siena Heights (Mich.) University at 7 p.m. inside Don Ridler Field House.
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