The Lincoln College Volleyball team began their 2010 campaign by splitting a pair of hard fought matches at the Southeastern CC Invitational in West Burlington, IA. LC began the day by beating the host school, SCC, in four sets (25-8, 22-25, 25-24, 26-24).  The Lady Lynx (1-1) dropped their second match in 5 sets to Division I Indian Hills CC (25-20, 22-25, 21-25, 25-19, 15-6).

LC Stats:

Alexis Nelson (Bloom HS) 22 Kills, 21 points
Emily Fox (Springfield Southeast HS) 27 set assists, 14 points
Kristen Wright (Fairfield HS) 19 set assists, 22 points
Markeshia Williams (East St. Louis HS) 21 digs
Mellisa Turpin (Normal West HS) 5 kills, 9 blocks
Chelsea Rhoades (Rushville HS) 5 kills 8 blocks

LC Coach Mark Tippett:
Overall I was very pleased with our performance today. We have a young team and we make a lot of errors, but our athleticism and positive attitude give me a lot of confidence in our ability to win at this level.

LC continues play at SCC tomorrow with matches against Prarie State College and Kirkwood CC.

The Lincoln College Volleyball Team fell to 1-3 on the season after suffering two losses at the Southeastern Community College Invitational. LC dropped their first match of the day 25-10, 30-28, 25-22 to Prairie State CC then fell to Kirkwood CC 25-16, 20-25, 25-20, 28-26.

LC Stats:

Emily Fox (Southeast) 38 set assists, 13 points
Alexis Nelson ((Bloom) 21 kills, 14 points, 27 digs
Danielle Stephenson (Trico) 10 kills, 4 blocks
Megan Schaefer (Meridian) 13 digs, 3 points
Jacqui Kane (Princeton) 7 kills, 4 blocks

LC Coach Mark Tippett: 

We did noty show up to play at all in the first set against PSC, but we got off to a better start in set two which brought our confidence level up and allowed us to compete better the rest of the day.  Kirkwood has a very strong, athletic team and I was proud of the way we stepped up our intensity to meet that challenge. We showed real signs of being able to compete at a very high level today, but we still have a lot of work to do.

On Tuesday evening the Lincoln College Volleyball Team played their first official match in their new athletic facility, The Lincoln Center.  The Lady Lynx successfully defended their new home court with a three set victory over Illinois Valley Community College.  After surrendering a late lead in set one, LC stormed back to win 25-23.  The next two sets were each close early on, but Lincoln (2-3) took advantage of a balanced offensive attack to win them both by identical scores of 25-20 and 25-20.

LC Stats:

Alexis Nelson (Bloom HS)            6 kills, 7 digs, 5 points
Emily Fox(Springfield Southeast)    13 set assists, 5 digs, 7 points
Kristi Naylon (Polo HS)                   5 kills, 2 points
Jacqui Kane (Princeton HS)          5 kills
Chelsea Rhoades (Rushville HS) 4 kills, 4 blocks
Kristen Wright (Fairfield HS)        10 set assists, 9 points

LC Coach Mark Tippett: 

“Our players have made steady improvements over the past week in all areas of the game and have begun to develop some positive team chemistry.  We have been working hard to become more aggressive offensively and it is starting to click.  Our passing was solid most of the night which gave the setters a good chance to run the offense.  Overall it was a great way to begin life in our new gym. “

Lincoln will travel this weekend to Baytown, Texas to compete in the Lee College Invitational Tournament.

The Lincoln College Volleyball team began play today at the Lee College Invitational in Baytown, TX. The Lady Lynx's visit to the Lone Star state got off to a rocky start as they dropped a pair of matches, each in four sets. Lincoln (2-5) lost first to Coastal Bend College (4-2) by scores of 25-19, 16-25, 25-18, 25-21 then to Trinity Valley CC (3-4) 25-17, 25-19, 18-25, 25-14. Both of LC's opponents compete at the NJCAA Division I level.

LC Stats

Alexis Nelson (Bloom) 18 kills, 20 points, 4 aces
Emily Fox (Southeast) 39 set assists, 10 points
Markeisha Williams (East St. Louis) 21 digs, 12 points
Mellisa Turpin (Normal West) 8 kills, 9 blocks

LC Coach Mark Tippett:

The scores might not reflect it, but we gave Coastal Bend quite a match. The first two sets were a wash because we traded blowouts and the next two were both close up until about 20-20. Our passing broke down at the end of both sets which is not a good habit to get into. We put together one decent set against Trinity Valley, but their attackers and jump servers wore us down in the other losses which were not closely contested at all.

Lincoln continues play in Texas tomorrow with two more matches. First they will face Galveston CC then take on the host school, Lee College.

Day two of the Lee College Invitational proved to be no easier for The Lady Lynx of Lincoln College than the first day.  LC dropped a pair of matches to very solid Division I opponents Galveston CC (25-21, 25-22, 25-20) and Lee College (25-7, 25-17, 25-16).

LC Stats:
Alexis Nelson 13 kills, 10 digs, 7 points
Emily Fox 12 set assists, 3 digs, 5 points
Danielle Stephenson 4 kills, 1 block
Markeshia Williams 9 digs, 3 points
Mellisa Turpin 3 kills, 5 blocks

LC Coach Mark Tippett: It was a rough day for us, but we stood up well to some very tough competition.  Hopefully we will learn from this experience and return home a stronger team.

The Lady Lynx will play their first Conference and Region 24 game on Wednesday night in Lincoln against Lewis and Clark.

The Lincoln College Volleyball team suffered its first home loss of the season as the Lady Lynx fell to visiting MWAC foe Lewis & Clark CC in four sets.  The scores were 25-22, 15-25, 25-21, 25-15.  LC is now 2-8 and 0-1 in MAC play.  Lewis & Clark improved to 5-3 and are 1-0 in the MAC.

LC Stats: 
Alexis Nelson 11 kills, 4 digs, 4 points
Emily Fox 18 set assists, 3 digs, 6 points
Danielle Stephenson 8 kills, 1 block
Courtney Reinken 2 kills, 8 points
Chelsea Rhoades 3 kills, 6 blocks
Kristen Wright 8 set assists, 9 points
Markeshia Williams 7 digs, 7 points

LC Coach Mark Tippett: 
At times in this match we showed that we are capable of playing very solid defense and that we have the ability to run a quick offense.  The problem was we did not pass the ball consistantly in serve receive.  In all three of the sets we lost we got stuck in one rotation and gave up too many points before siding out.  Our players showed a lot of heart though and fought to the end.  It is obvious that we will need to sharpen our serve receive game quite a bit in order to get back in the win column.

This Friday and Saturday Lincoln College will host the innagural Hampton Inn Invitational Tournament.  8 teams will compete for the title with play begining at 1:00 pm on Friday afternoon.

On day one of the Inaugural Hampton Inn Volleyball classic hosted by Lincoln College, LC Lady Lynx won both of their matches in straight sets.

They defeated Robert Morris College of Peoria 25-15, 25-20, and 25-18.

In Lincoln’s second match of the evening they got passed Elgin Community College 25-17, 25-12, 26-24.

LC (4-8) is tied for first place in their pool with Rend Lake College who also won two matches on Friday.

The two teams will square off at 9:00 am Saturday to determine who will play in the championship match.

LC Stats:
Natalia Florczyk 6 kills, 9 digs, 15 points
Emily Fox 28 set assists, 15 points, 2 aces
Alexis Nelson 22 kills, 10 digs
Chelsea Rhoades 9 kills, 5 blocks
Mellisa Turpin 6 kills, 4 blocks
Markeshia Williams 17 points, 6 digs

LC Coach Mark Tippett:
We worked hard to sharpen up our serve receive game and saw a lot of improvement in that area this evening. The passers gave our setters a good opportunity to spread the ball around and keep our opponents guessing. It was good to see our hitters being aggressive at the net.

We played with a lot of confidence tonight and can hopefully carry that over into the second day of the tournament.

On Saturday, the Lincoln College Volleyball Team defended their home court to take the championship match at the Inaugural Hampton Inn Volleyball Tournament.  Lincoln defeated Southeastern CC of West Burlington, IA in a thrilling five set match to win the tournament.   LC seemed in command of the match during the first two sets, wining by scores of 25-21, and 25-18; however, SCC stormed back to take sets three and four 25-19 and 25-17.  With their backs against the wall, the Lady Lynx came out fighting in the deciding set to 15 and built an 8-2 lead.  After several long, intense rallies, Lincoln (6-8) took the match by a final score of 15-10.   In earlier action, Lincoln defeated Rend Lake College 25-8, 25-15, 25-16.

LC Stats:
Emily Fox 28 set assists, 12 points (All-Tournament Team Selection)
Alexis Nelson 22 kills, 5 digs, 6 points (All-Tournament Team Selection)
Natalia Florczyk 6 kills, 5 digs, 10 points
Danielle Stephenson 7 kills, 6 blocks
Chelsea Rhoades 5 kills, 5 blocks
Mellisa Turpin 3 kills, 11 blocks
Markeshia Williams 28 points, 9 digs
Jacqui Kane 4 kills, 2 blocks
Megan Schaefer 5 points, 4 digs

LC Coach Mark Tippett: 
Winning this tournament was a great step forward for our team.   We showed that we can pass well enough to run a quick offense and play team defense.  If a team can do those two things, it can win a lot of matches at this level.  Our players also showed they can maintain poise under pressure which there was plenty of in the championship match.  Southeastern was inconsistant in the first two sets, but their jump servers figured out how to keep the ball in and really hammered us in the third and fourth sets.  I was very proud of the way we stepped up to the challenge in set five and stuck together to get the win.   

Lincoln's next match will be at home on Wednesday evening versus Parkland College.

Lincoln (6-9) loses to #4 Parkland (15-3) (25-21, 22-25, 25-14, 25-14)

The Lincoln College volleyball team hosted nationally ranked Parkland College on Wednesday evening and PC, #4 in this week's NJCAA Division II National Poll, left with a four set victory.   Lincoln (6-9) fell behind early in the first set spotting the Cobras an 8-0 lead.  Despite the slow start, Lincoln was able to narrow the lead to two points later in the match, but eventually lost the opening set 25-21.  In set two the Lady Lynx avoided creating an early deficit and earned themselves a 25-22 victory to even the match at one set apiece.  Set three saw LC jump out to an early lead, but a 6-point Parkland run gave the visitors the momentum and they went on to win the final two sets by identical scores of 25-14 and 25-14.  ‪  ‪ LC

Stats:
Alexis Nelson 13 kills, 15 digs, 3 points Emily Fox 14 set assists, 6 points Danielle Stephenson 3 kills, 1 block Chelsea Rhoades 5 kills, 2 blocks Mellisa Turpin 5 kills, 2 blocks Kristen Wright 12 set assists, 9 points Markeshia Williams 8 digs, 5 points

LC Coach Mark Tippett:
"I was pleased with the attitude and intensity we brought to the gym this evening.  We showed we can hang right with one of the top teams in the nation.  Our passers performed well enough to keep us competitive and our defense was outstanding at times.  We just did not have the focus or offensive fire power to push through and win the longer rallies in the match.  Sets three and four were close early on, but we seemed to tire a bit in each set and committed some costly unforced errors.  The win in set two though was a big confidence boost and an indication of the level of play we are capable of reaching."

LC will travel to Illinois Valley for three matches on Saturday.

Lincoln (7-11) goes 1-2 at IVCC Invitational

On Saturday the Lincoln College Volleyball team played three matches at the Illinois Valley Community College Invitational.  LC lost their opening match to Wabaunsee Community College in three closely contested sets (25-19, 27-25, 25-23).  Lincoln’s second match saw them go four sets before falling to Harper College by scores of 25-23, 24-26, 25-23, 25-21.  In their final match, The Lady Lynx (7-11) met the host school, Illinois Valley, and it took five sets for them to earn the victory.  The scores were 25-19, 20-25, 25-14, 24-26, 15-7.  

LC Stats:

Alexis Nelson 33 kills, 26 digs, 5 blocks
Jacqui Kane 15 kills, 5 blocks
Mellisa Turpin 13 kills, 16 blocks
Emily Fox 58 set assists, 4 digs
Danielle Stephenson 9 kills, 10 blocks
Kristen Wright 40 set assists, 14 points
Jana Wright 12 points, 11 digs
Megan Schaefer 14 points, 11 digs
Chelsea Rhoades 14 kills

LC Coach Mark Tippett: We were a step slow on defense and very inconsistent from behind the serving line in the first match against Wabaunsee.

Despite the fact we were not very sharp early in the game, we managed to make things interesting in sets two and three.

After a long layoff we came out and played well against Harper, but not well enough to push the match to a fifth set.

We had to work hard to beat IVCC, but the win stopped the day from becoming a total loss.

Our blocking was much better and we found our rhythm on offense which was missing during the first half of the day.

Lincoln College (7-12) loses in 3 sets to Illinois Central College (15-4)

Lincoln College (7-12) was defeated by defending NJCAA Division II National Champions, Illinois Central College in three sets.  The scores were 25-17, 25-10, 25-19.

LC Stats:
Mellisa Turpin 4 kills, 3 blocks
Kristen Wright 3 set assists, 6 points
Markeshia Williams 7 digs, 2 points

LC Coach Mark Tippett: 
I was disappointed in our team's effort tonight.  We had very little life to our offense and brought no intensity to our play on defense at all.  ICC is a solid team with good athletes, but I know we have the capability of putting up more of a fight than we did tonight.  I t was obvious that we have a lot of work to do if we want to regain our competetive edge.

LC will travel to Springfield to play Robert Morris College on Thursday night. 

The Lincoln College Volleyball team improved their record to 8-12 with a 5 set victory over Robert Morris College in Springfield.  LC dominated the first two sets, winning by scores of 25-15 and 25-14.  An early passing breakdown in set three put the Lady Lynx in an 11-3 hole, but Lincoln managed to work their way out of the deficit to tie the game at 20.  However, after several intense rallies, RMC emerged with a 26-24 set victory.  The win gave the Eagles (5-10) the momentum which they used to defeat LC 25-19 in set four and force a deciding set to 15.  In the set, Lincoln College regained their composure and slugged their way to a 15-12 win to finally end the match. 

LC Stats:

Alexis Nelson           15 kills, 7 digs, 8 points
Kristen Wright          21 set assists, 15 points
Emily Fox               18 set assists, 3 digs, 6 points
Natalia Florczyk        7 kills, 7 digs, 3 points
Danielle Stephenson     5 kills, 3 blocks
Mellisa Turpin          5 kills, 7 blocks
Chelsea Rhoades         7 kills, 4 blocks
Megan Schaefer          9 digs, 10 points
Jacqui Kane             4 kills, 2 blocks
Markeshia Williams      6 digs, 9 points
Jana Wright             5 digs, 2 points
Kristi Naylon           6 kills

LC Coach Mark Tippett:
This match was a perfect example of how this game is built for momentum swings.  We built huge leads in the first two sets and won them without much stress, but two lopsided wins does not decide the match.  I give RMC a lot of credit because it would have ben easy for them to give up in set three, but they kept trying and eventually started playing very well defensively.  Fortunately, we were able to hold them off in set 5 to get the win.  The most encouraging thing about this match was that we found our offense again and started aggressively hitting the ball.  Hitting errors cost us a lot of points later in the match, but at least we are swinging and getting consistent enough passes to run an offense.

Lincoln will travel to Chicago to participate in a triangular at Moraine Valley Community College on Saturday.

The Lincoln College Volleyball Team got back in the winner's circle on Tuesday evening with a three set victory over the visiting Greenville College JV team.  LC got off to a fast start behind some solid blocking and consistent serving to win set one 25-16.  Greeneville responded with a strong effort in set two, but the Lady Lynx held the Lady Panthers off for a 25-22 win.  Lincoln kept the momentum in set three and cruised to a 25-12 victory.  The win improved Lincoln's record to 9-14. ‪ 
  ‪
LC Stats:

Alexis Nelson 9 kills, 4 digs, 7 points
Kristen Wright 13 set assists, 6 points
Jacqui Kane 5 kills, 1 point
Emily Fox 10 set assists, 3 digs, 8 points Natalia Florczyk 3 kills, 8 digs Mellisa Turpin 5 kills, 3 blocks Chelsea Rhoades 4 kills, 2 blocks Markeshia Williams 8 digs, 12 points

LC Coach Mark Tippett: This win was a solid team effort.  We really picked up our game defensively and cut down on the mental errors which have been holding us back lately.  I was impressed with the way we hit the ball tonight which is also a sign that our passing has improved. It was great to see our players working together and experiencing success on the court again.

Lincoln travels to Danville Area College for a 6:00 pm conference match tomorrow evening.

The Lady Lynx traveled to Danville Area CC on Wednesday for an MWAC conference match and came away with a hard-fought five set victory. A very loud and supportive crowd saw Danville jump out to a 6-0 lead in set one and never trail on their way to a 25-18 win. Lincoln College kept their composure and won set two 25-15 and set three 25-13. With the crowd quieted, Lincoln appeared to be in command as they built a 9 point lead in set four, but the Lady Jaguars clawed their way back into the set and eventually won it 27-25 to set up a final set to 15.   LC again showed their mental toughness as they were able to block out the wild home crowd and take a 4-0 lead in the final set. DACC eventually sided out and narrowed the Lincoln lead to two. The two teams traded sideouts all the way up to 14-12. At this point LC was out of subs and forced to play a back row player in the front row. Danville sided out and on their serve Lincoln won a very long, wildly contested volley to take the set and the match 15-13. Lincoln improves to 10-14 on the year and 1-2 in MWAC play.

LC stats:
Alexis Nelson 17 kills
Emily Fox 26 set assists
Chelsea Rhoades 7 kills 4 blocks
Courtney Reinken 5 kills
Danielle Stephenson 6 kills
Natalia Florczyk 4 kills 7 digs

LC Coach Mark Tippett:

This was one of the wilder matches we have played this year, but a lot of fun to watch.  The Danville crowd was loud and they made life tough on us, but I was proud of the way we kept our cool and stayed focused after losing set one.  We collapsed a bit in set four, but I give the DACC players credit for not giving up. Set five was a war and I am very pleased by the determination we showed to earn the victory. This was definitely a memorable win.

On Saturday, the Lincoln College Volleyball team ran their winning streak to four in a row with two hard-fought victories over NJCAA Division I opponents.  ‪  ‪Lincoln (12-14) began the day by defeating Black Hawk College East in four sets.  The Lady Lynx controlled things early by winning set one 25-20 and set two 25-22.  BHE rallied to take set three 25-23 and led most of the way through set four.  With the lady Lynx down 17-21, Emily Fox stepped behind the service line and served seven points in a row to put LC in position to win the match.  However, the Lady Warriors were able to fight off match point and score two quick points of their own to tie the score at 24.  LC sided out to again bring up match point.  This time they were able to win the volley for a 26-24 victory. ‪  ‪In their second match of the day, Lincoln faced off against Kaskaskia Community College.  The first two sets were very closely contested, but Lincoln came up short in both to lose by scores of 25-23 and 25-23.  In set three LC built an early lead and held on against a furious KCC comeback attempt to take the set 26-24.  With their confidence restored, the Lady Lynx took set four 25-18 to set up a deciding set to 15. Lincoln was able to roll the momentum they had gained into the deciding set as they jumped out to an 8-2 advantage and never trailed on their way to a 15-8 victory.  ‪  ‪LC STATS:  ‪ Emily Fox 47 set assists, 13 digs, 31 points Kristen Wright 29 set assists, 7 digs, 18 points Alexis Nelson 35 kills, 21 digs, 6 points Chelsea Rhoades 15 kills, 15 blocks Markeshia Williams 27 digs, 19 points Danielle Stephenson 10 kills, 4 blocks Natalia Florczyk 8 kills, 5 digs, 6 points Mellisa Turpin 8 kills, 6 blocks Jana Wright 10 digs, 3 points Megan Schaefer 6 digs, 14 points Courtney Reinken 7 kills, 3 points Jacqui Kane 6 kills, 2 blocks Kristi Naylon 2 kills, 2 blocks

LC Coach Mark Tippett:
This game is a lot of fun to watch when the teams are evenly matched and playing at a high level.  That was the case today, and, fortunately, we were the team to come out on top in both matches.  Our passing was great most of the day which allowed us to get the volley started effectively and avoid giving up points on bunches.  We served consistently and blocked well at the net which are always important factors in any successful effort at this level.  Our players have been putting in a lot of hard work, so it is gratifying to see it pay off on the court.

LC will host Benedictine University at 6:00 pm on Tuesday evening.

Note: In the other match of the day Kaskaskia defeated Black Hawk East in 5 sets 25-14, 23-25, 25-20, 17-25, 16-14.

Lincoln, IL- The Lincoln College Volleyball team has now won five matches in a row after defeating the visiting Bulldogs of Benedictine University in yet another nail biter.  LC (13-14) took the first set 25-14, but BU was able to turn the tables on them in the second set to win 25-16.  Lincoln stepped up to the challenge and responded with a solid effort in set three to win 25-18.  The fourth set saw the lead go back and forth several times before the Lady Lynx were able to take command and build a 23-19 lead.  However, Benedictine was able to sideout to keep them away from match point.  They followed the sideout with three quick points to even the score at 23.  A Lincoln sideout on a kill by freshman middle hitter Chelsea Rhoades put them in position to win the match, but Benedictine would not let the point fall and the score stood tied at 24-24.  After a long, intense volley, a kill off the block by freshman outside hitter Alexis Nelson gave Lincoln another chance at the win.  This time, after a serve from sophomore Megan Schaefer, LC won the final point on a BU hitting error to seal a 26-24 set and match victory.

LC Stats:

Emily Fox 17 set assists, 5 digs, 3 points
Kristen Wright 15 set assists, 3 digs, 6 points
Alexis Nelson 12 kills, 5 digs, 6 points
Chelsea Rhoades 5 kills, 4 blocks, 10 points 
Jacqui Kane 8 kills, 2 blocks
Natalia Florczyk 7 kills, 5 digs, 8 points
Mellisa Turpin 2 kills, 7 blocks 

LC Coach Mark Tippett:  We did not do any one thing especially well tonight, but we did not show any obvious weaknesses either.  I believe we got overconfident after building a big lead in set one and sort of put it on cruise control in set two.  BU made us pay for it and their effort in set four almost pushed us to a set to 15 to decide the match.  Fortunately the "bend but don't break" style of play we have been using for the past week or so worked again and we got the win.  One thing we have consistently shown this season is the ability to perform well under pressure and that is a great quality, especially in such a young team.

Lincoln and Benedictine wore pink uniforms during the match and will donate all proceeds to the fight against cancer.  LC will wear pink again tomorrow evening as the travel to Lincoln Land Community College for a 6:00 pm MWAC match. 

On Wednesday evening the "Battle of the Lynx" took place on the campus of Lincoln College as the LC Lady Lynx took on the Lynx of Lindenwood University-Belleville (12-5).  Lincoln College won this first ever meeting of the two programs in straight sets (25-23, 25-16, 25-20).  The win pushed Lincoln's record over the .500 mark for the first time since the opening weekend of the season as they improved to 15-14. 

LC Stats:

Alexis Nelson 12 kills, 9 digs
Megan Schaefer 13 points, 3 aces
Emily Fox 14 set assists, 9 points
Kristen Wright 7 set assists, 6 points
Chelsea Rhoades 3 kills, 7 blocks
Markeshia Williams 7 digs, 10 points
Natalia Florczyk 5 kills, 4 digs
Courtney Reinken 2 kills, 1 block

LC Coach Mark Tippett:  We started off the match looking a little rusty, but once our passing game improved we were able to create opportunities for our hitters to score points.  Lindenwood had a couple of tough servers and each set was close most of the way, but our players again showed the ability to come through in critical situations.  We are playing some pretty scrappy team defense right now, and I am pleased with the direction we are headed.

Lincoln will travel south on Saturday to participate in a triangular at Rend Lake College. 

On Saturday, the Lincoln College Volleyball team participated in a triangular at Rend Lake College in Ina, IL.  In their first action of the day, the Lady Lynx saw their 7 match winning streak snapped by a hard-fought, five set loss to Shawnee Community College.   LC got off to a slow start in set one, dropping it 25-20.  The team returned to form in sets two and three taking them by scores of 25-16 and 25-18.  Set four saw SCC come alive to take a late lead and survive a Lincoln comeback attempt to win the set 25-23.  In the deciding set to 15 Shawnee jumped out to an 8-2 advantage and eventually took the set 15-9. ‪  ‪In the second match of the day for Lincoln, the Lady Lynx returned to the winner's circle by defeating Rend Lake in straight sets (25-20, 25-19, 25-14).  With the win, Lincoln maintained their above .500 record as they improved to 16-15 on the season. ‪  ‪LC Stats: ‪ ‪  ‪ Emily Fox 37 set assists, 15 points Kristen Wright 30 set assists, 13 points Alexis Nelson 21 kills, 20 digs, 15 points Chelsea Rhoades 12 kills, 4 blocks Markeshia Williams 16 digs, 5 points Danielle Stephenson 5 kills, 5 blocks Natalia Florczyk 20 kills, 7 digs, 8 points Mellisa Turpin 8 kills, 8 blocks Jana Wright 8 digs, 6 points Megan Schaefer 6 digs, 11 points Courtney Reinken 2 kills, 4 blocks Jacqui Kane 3 kills, 1 block Kristi Naylon 2 kills, 2 blocks

LC Coach Mark Tippett:  The Shawnee match was one where we were made to pay for early lapses in focus and effort.  We dug ourselves deep holes in the first and final sets that we were not able to overcome.  In between those sections of the match we played some very good volleyball.  Our passing and defense allowed us to keep SCC off balance most of the time, but we let them off the hook in set four and it cost us.  Against Rend Lake we stayed aggressive and used our height advantage to take control of the net.  The match was a positive way to end the day because the entire team was able to contribute to the win.

LC will host Robert Morris College on Wednesday evening.

On Wednesday evening the Lincoln College Volleyball team once again defended their home court by defeating Robert Morris College (Springfield) in four sets.  Lincoln jumped out to an early lead then cruised to a 25-11 opening set win.  RMC picked up their game considerably in set two and won it 25-21.  In set three the Lady Lynx returned to form to take control of the match.  The final scores of 25-12 and 25-18 in the last two sets sent the home crowd home happy.  With the win, Lincoln improved their record to 17-15 on the year. ‪ 
  ‪
‪LC Stats:
‪
Emily Fox 22 set assists, 5 digs, 13 points Kristen Wright 11 set assists, 7 points Alexis Nelson 13 kills, 5 digs, 7 points Chelsea Rhoades 7 kills, 4 blocks Markeshia Williams 7 digs, 8 points Danielle Stephenson 4 kills, 4 blocks Natalia Florczyk 6 kills, 8 digs, 8 points Mellisa Turpin 2 kills, 3 blocks Megan Schaefer 2 digs, 3 points Jacqui Kane 5 kills, 2 blocks, 1 point

LC Coach Mark Tippett:  About a month ago we struggled to beat RMC in five sets, so to earn a convincing four set victory over them is another indication of how much we have improved as a team.  We were steady in all aspects of the game tonight which is what every coach wants to see at this stage of the season.  I am confident that we will be playing our best volleyball as we head toward the end of the season.

On Saturday the Lincoln College Volleyball Team (19-15) hosted a triangular featuring matches with Millikin University's JV team and Joliet Junior College.  In the first match of the day, LC used a balanced attack and disciplined defense to defeat the MUJV squad 25-21, 25-15, 25-20.  Prior to their afternoon match with JJC, The Lady Lynx took time to recognize their five sophomore players and the family members who have supported them at LC.  The final match of their careers in the Lincoln Center got off to a rocky start as Joliet jumped out to a 7-1 advantage in set one.  Lincoln would side out and eventually cut the lead to two points, but Joliet held on for a 25-23 set one victory.  In set two the Lady Lynx regrouped and began working together better as a team which led to a 25-19 win.  LC kept the positive momentum going to take set three 25-22.  With a 2 sets to 1 advantage in their favor, Lincoln could smell victory and would not give JJC any opportunity to get back in the match as the Lynx jumped all over the Wolves to win set four 25-8.

LC Stats:

Sophomores:

Emily Fox 44 set assists, 5 digs,  20 points
Natalia Florczyk 15 kills, 15 digs, 13 points
Markeshia Williams 13 digs, 11 points
Danielle Stephenson 5 kills, 5 blocks
Megan Schaefer 13 digs, 10 points

Freshmen:

Kristen Wright 30 set assists, 18 points
Alexis Nelson 30 kills, 11 digs, 11 points
Chelsea Rhoades 19 kills, 7 blocks
Mellisa Turpin 8 kills, 8 blocks

LC Coach Mark Tippett:  We were sharp in all phases of the game today.  I was particularly pleased with the way we attacked the ball and how we were able to match the defensive intesity of the two teams we played.  Both teams hustled on defense and made us work hard for every point.  Our sophomore class has been a very enjoyable group to work with both on and off the court.  I am happy that were able to play well today and make their final matches in the Lincoln Center into positive memories.

Lincoln will be in action next on Wednesday evening as they travel to Springfield for a 6:00 PM match against Benedictine University.

Sophomores.  From left to right: Megan Schaefer, Markeshia Williams, Coach Mark Tippett, Emily Fox, Danielle Stephenson, Natalia Florczyk

On Friday, the Lincoln College Volleyball team played their final home match of the regular season versus the Chargers of Carl Sandburg College. The match was held in the Davison-Sheffer gymnasium instead of the Lincoln Center in order to accommodate preparations for an alumni event in the Lincoln Center. The old gym proved to be the perfect setting for the team's Halloween-themed, regular season finale. As the match began, Lincoln College certainly felt tricked on their way to dropping the first set 25-19. However, the Lady Lynx were not spooked by the setback, as they went to work in set two. The two teams traded sideouts for most of the early portion of the set with neither team able to break away. After multiple tie scores, Lincoln was the first to scare up a set point opportunity. Sandburg held strong though to force extra points cause Lincoln to run out of subs. This caused sophomore setter Emily Fox to see action in the front row for the final two rotations. Sandburg tried to take advantage of the situation by attacking in her direction, but this proved to be a fatal mistake as Fox would tally her first block of the season to end the set and give LC a 26-24 win. With the raucous Lincoln College crowd behind them, Lincoln was able to build a lead in set three, but the Chargers resurrected their offense and again pushed the set to extra points. This time Lincoln was able to hold on to enough subs to keep their strongest rotations on the court and win 27-25. Set four left the Chargers feeling cursed as Lincoln pulled away for a 25-18 set and match victory. The win improved Lincoln's record to 21-15 on the season.

LC Stats:

Emily Fox 24 set assists, 9 points
Kristen Wright 15 set assists, 5 points
Alexis Nelson 17 kills, 7 digs
Chelsea Rhoades 7 kills, 5 blocks
Markeshia Williams 5 digs, 10 points
Danielle Stephenson 6 kills, 6 blocks
Natalia Florczyk 8 kills, 11 digs, 12 points
Mellisa Turpin 2 blocks, 3 points
Jacqui Kane 5 kills

LC Coach Mark Tippett: I was very impressed by the way Carl Sandburg played in the first set. They served agressively, ran a quick offense, and worked very hard on defense. I was just as impressed with the way our players responded to the challenge they presented us in sets two and three. We made the adjustments we needed to make in order to handle their servers better which gave our hitters more opportunities to score points. Our servers were very inconsistent though which put a lot of presure on our passers. They did a great job for us tonight of getting volleys started and we were able to win several hard-fought points after long rallies which is exatly what a coach likes to see at this point of the season. We really earned this one.

Lincoln will finish their regular season tomorrow as the travel to Belleville, IL to participate in a triabgular at Southwestern Illinois College. The triangular will fature a rematch for Lincoln with Shawnee Community College, the only team to deafeat them so far in the month of October.

On Saturday, the Lincoln College Volleyball team participated in a triangular at Southwestern Illinois College in Belleville. LC began the day with a rematch against Shawnee Community College, the only team to defeat the Lady Lynx in the month of October. The match did not start well for LC as they lost the first set 25-18. Lincoln was able to even the match at a set apiece with a 25-23 set two victory. In set three, Lincoln's All-Conference outside hitter, Alexis Nelson, was forced to leave the match with a foot injury. The setback took its toll on the LC's offense and they fell to SCC 25-19. The Lady Lynx rallied in set four, but were unable to force a fifth set as Shawnee held on for a 27-25 set four win.

In the second match of the day for Lincoln, the Lady Lynx faced the host school, Southwestern Illinois College. SWIC took the first two sets by scores of 25-17 and 25-21. In set three, LC found new life and managed to win 25-23. The team showed a great deal of resolve in set four as they overcame a pair of four point deficits to take a late lead and hold on for a 25-22 win to force a deciding set to 15. SWIC jumped out to a 9-2 advantage in the fifth set, but Lincoln once again got up off the floor to make a game of it. They steadily worked their way back into the set and managed to cut the lead to 11-9, and eventually 14-13, but the final point fell in SWIC's favor and they took the match with a 15-13 set five win. The losses on the day gave Lincoln a final regular season record of 21-17.

LC Stats:

Emily Fox 49 set assists, 12 points

Kristen Wright 37 set assists, 14 points

Chelsea Rhoades 18 kills, 16 blocks

Markeshia Williams 35 digs, 10 points

Danielle Stephenson 9 kills, 10 blocks

Natalia Florczyk 27 kills, 10 points

Mellisa Turpin 11 kills, 6 blocks

Jana Wright 13 digs, 4 points

Megan Schaefer 10 digs, 5 points

Courtney Reinken 12 kills, 5 points

Jacqui Kane 7 kills, 3 blocks

Kristi Naylon 3 kills

LC Coach Mark Tippett: We have not fared well in weekend events away from home this season. A look back at our record shows that in weekend matches at home we went 9-0, but away from home on the weekends we were a disappointing 3-14. I am not sure why we struggled so often on the weekends. Today was no different, but I was pleased at how we managed to find a way to stay in each match despite the loss of our top offensive player, Alexis Nelson. We are hopeful she will be able to return for our Regional match against Parkland.

LC will travel to Parkland on Wednesday to begin play in the Region 24A Regional Tournament. LC enters as the #3 seed in their half of the region while Parkland is ranked #2. The match will start at 6:00 pm.

The 2010 Lincoln College Volleyball season came to a close on Wednesday evening with a loss in Region 24 tournament play to Parkland College.  Lincoln lost in straight sets 25-6, 25-16, 25-13.  The Lady Lynx finish their season with an overall record of 21-18. ‪  ‪

LC Stats:
‪
Emily Fox 11 set assists, 3 points
Alexis Nelson 6 kills, 2 digs
Chelsea Rhoades 3 kills
Markeshia Williams 7 digs, 3 points
Natalia Florczyk 3 kills, 8 digs

LC Coach Mark Tippett:  It is unfortunate that we ended the season this way.  I can't point to a single area in which we were effective tonight.  The performance this evening was not at all the way we played most of the regular season.  In fact, I feel our team has a lot to be proud of when we look back at the year.  We took our lumps early on, but through hard work and dedication made huge improvements in our play.  The progress showed in our record as we went from 6 games under .500 in mid-September to a season high 6 games over .500 in late October. Highlights from the year include winning our first home tournament, going 13-1 during during the final stretch of the season, and finishing with a record of 14-3 at home in our first season in the Lincoln Center.  Overall it was a great season, it's just too bad we were not able to put together a better effort in our final match of the year.