ROMEOVILLE, Ill. — No. 9 BYU men’s volleyball fell 3-2 (16-25, 23-25, 25-16, 25-11, 13-15) in five sets against the No. 15 Lewis Flyers in Neil Carey Arena Saturday evening for the Cougars' first loss of the season.
"These games were exactly what we wanted and needed out of this road trip," said BYU head coach Shawn Olmstead. "Our team battled all night long. It was a slow start in the first set, but the players who came off the bench gave us a spark and lift. Jackson Fife steadied things out and Trent Moser put a lot of pressure on Lewis. Tyler Herget did a great job moving the ball around and serving very well. Miks was an important part of our efforts as well. After the game, I told the guys how proud I was of them and loved being in that match with them."
After losing the first two sets, the Cougars (3-1) bounced back to win the next two and dropped set five by just two points, after 11 ties. Off the bench, Trent Moser led the Cougars in kills with 14, with a .417 hitting percentage. Sophomore transfer Tyler Herget also came off the bench to record a career-high four aces and career-high 32 assists.
Miks Ramanis finished with 10 kills on a .364 clip, adding a team-high 11 digs. Another key player off the bench was senior Jon Stanley who finished with a career-high night of four blocks, five digs and two kills.
By the numbers, it was an even match as both teams finished with 47 kills apiece and nine service aces. The Cougars also hit .274 while the Flyers (2-2) finished with a .207 clip.
Set One
Kupono Browne opened the match with an ace, his fifth of the season, which was followed by four continuous service errors from both sides, BYU up 3-2. The Flyers later reached a five-point lead at 12-7, forcing BYU to take its first timeout.
The Cougars gained some energy with a 3-0 run composed by a Teon Taylor kill, double-block by Taylor and Browne and a Miks Ramanis kill to make it 14-12, BYU now down just two. The Cougars had to burn their second timeout after the Flyers then went on a 3-0 run, with Lewis leading by five at 17-12.
Following the timeout, the Flyers’ explosive offense went on another 3-0 run, upping their lead to 20-12. The Flyers' 6-0 run proved to be enough to secure a set-one lead, winning 25-16 after a kill by Tyler Morgan. Lewis hit .500 as a team in the first set, holding BYU to a season-low .000 clip.
Set Two
Ramanis had BYU’s first kill in the second set, taking the score to 5-3 with BYU down two. Lewis reached a 12-5 lead, pressuring BYU to take a timeout. Browne followed with a kill, his second of the night.
BYU entered setter Herget, libero Jackson Fife, defensive specialist Stanley and opposite Moser off the bench halfway through the second set, with BYU down eight points at 18-10. After a Moser kill, Herget ace and Lewis attack error, the Cougars cut Lewis' lead down to four at 20-16, causing the Flyers to take their first timeout of the set.
BYU’s new group on the floor helped the Cougars inch their way back to a tie at 23-23 after Stanley recorded his first block of the season. The Flyers would ultimately win set two 25-23 after they issued a challenge on the final serve, which was initially called out and got reversed to be called in.
Set Three
After the score was tied at three, the Cougars went on a 3-0 run highlighted by a Stanley ace, his first of the season, with BYU now up 6-3. Lewis later took a timeout at 11-6 after Herget recorded back-to-back aces.
BYU continued to hold onto its lead, and middle blocker Gavin Julien added two kills to his stat line. The Flyers would later go on a 3-0 run, making the Cougars take their first timeout when up by four at 17-13. BYU found its largest lead of the night so far at 23-15 and would win its first set 25-16 after a kill by Moser, taking the match to 2-1.
Set Four
The Cougars flipped the narrative in the fourth set, going on a commanding 10-0 run after allowing the first point of the set, interrupted but not halted by a Lewis timeout at 6-1. BYU’s explosive start to the set included two kills by Stanley, a kill by Julien and an ace and kill by Moser.
BYU coasted through the rest of the set, holding onto a double-digit lead for 22 consecutive plays since leading at 12-2. When up 21-9, Benson recorded his second ace of the night for a 22-9 BYU lead. The Cougars closed the set 25-11 after a kill by Ramanis, taking the match into a fateful fifth set.
Set Five
A kill by Taylor took the score to 2-1 for a one-point BYU advantage. With ties at two, three, four and five, Herget's set dump and Moser's kill finally gave BYU a lead at 7-6.
As the score was tied again at nine points, a kill by Benson and Lewis attack error took the score to 11-9 in favor of the Cougars. Lewis fought back, recording back-to-back service aces for a match point at 14-12, but would next serve the ball out, letting BYU stay alive. Following a timeout, Lewis's Chrisitan Prayer launched the ball onto the wood to win 15-13, securing a 3-2 victory over the Cougars.
Up Next
Next week the Cougars are on the road again, traveling to California to face UC Santa Barbara in a pair of matches beginning on Friday, Jan. 19 at 6 p.m. PST.