Lincoln College Drops in 3 sets to Robert Morris University(Springfield)
The 2011 Lincoln College volleyball season got off to a rocky start with a three set loss to visiting Robert Morris University (Springfield).  The Lady Lynx (0-1) were defeated by scores of 25-17, 25-19, and 25-17. 

Lincoln College Stats:

Chelsea Rhoades     8 Kills, 2 blocks
Jenna Merkel            6 kills, 4 points
Kelly Anderson         4 kills, 5 points, 3 blocks
Courtney Reinken    3 kills
Kristen Wright         11 set assists, 2 points
Vicky Arriola             11 set assists, 3 points
Jana Wright             6 digs
Megan Tompkins      3 digs, 3 points
Jacqui Kane              2 kills, 2 blocks
Beth Daniels             1 kill, 1, block
Stefani Martin           1 dig, 1 point
Kristi Naylon             1 kill, 2 blocks

LC Coach Mark Tippett:  Well, we made a lot of unforced errors tonight and our passing was not good enough to give our offense a chance to get in rhythm.  RMC did a good job on defense which frustrated our hitters quite a bit.  In general we looked like a team playing their first match together, which is just what we are.  I am confident that we have the talent and desire to fix the issues we had tonight and improve on our performance the next time out.

Lincoln College will host Illinois Valley College on Wednesday, August 31st in a 6:00 pm match.

The Lincoln College volleyball team (4-1)ran the table at the Oakton Community College Invitational on Saturday by defeating all three of their opponents and improving to 4-1 on the season.  Lincoln swept their first two matches of the day in straight sets over Oakton (25-15, 25-23, 25-14) and College of DuPage (25-12, 25-10, 25-17).  That set up a showdown between the Lady Lynx and Harper College which was also 2-0 going into the final match of the day.  LC got off to a fast start and took set one 25-14.  They built a comfortable lead in set two, however Harper was able to scrap their way back into the set and eventually won it 27-25.  Lincoln regained the momentum in set three and went on to win 25-11 then took set four for the match victory by a score of 25-20.

Lincoln College Stats:

Jenna Merkel                          22 kills, 9 digs, 32 points, 8 aces
Chelsea Rhoades                     23 Kills, 8 blocks
Kristen Wright                         39 set assists, 16 points, 4 digs
Vicky Arriola                           37 set assists, 31 points, 5 aces
Megan Tompkins                    28 digs, 9 points, 3 aces
Courtney Reinken                   14 kills, 2 blocks
Kelly Anderson                        13 kills, 6 blocks, 16 points, 6 aces
Jana Wright                             17 digs, 5 points
Kristi Naylon                            10 kills, 6 blocks
Jacqui Kane                             8 kills, 6 blocks, 5 points
Beth Daniels                            4 kills, 3 blocks
Stefani Martin                         5 points, 1 ace

LC Coach Mark Tippett: Our team performed well in all aspects of the game today.  I was especially impressed with the intensity I saw on defense and with our serve receive passing.  We put a lot of hard work into those two areas this week in practice and it certainly paid off against some tough opponents.  What makes it even more satisfying is that every player on our roster made positive contributions to the victories, and it was obvious that our team is having fun playing together.  Overall I am very pleased with how this group is progressing.

Lincoln will travel to Parkland College on Wednesday for a 6:00 pm match.

On Wendesday evening the Lincoln College Volleyball team lost their opening match of the MWAC schedule to Parkland College 25-12, 25-16, 25-23.  Lincoln's record is now 4-2. 

Lincoln College Stats:

Courtney Reinken     6 kills
Chelsea Rhoades     1 Kills, 1 block
Jenna Merkel           9 points, 3 aces
Kristen Wright         3 kills, 6 set assists
Vicky Arriola            3 set assists, 5 points
Jana Wright             3 points
Megan Tompkins      6 digs

LC Coach Mark Tippett: We got off to bad starts in the first two sets due to some irratic passing and poor serving on our part.  We were not ready to match Parkland's intensity and it led to a couple of lopsided defeats.  In set three though we showed signs of life and played with them.  I believe we have the athletic ability to play with a team as strong as PC, we just need to bring more focus and confidence to the court.  I hope that we will take the lessons learned from this loss and use them to continue to improve.

Lincoln will host the 2nd annual Hampton Inn Classic this Friday and Saturday.  LC game times are 1:00 and 7:00 on Friday and 9:00 am on Saturday.  LC will either play at 1:00 or 3:00 on Saturday as well.

Lincoln College went 4-0 this weekend to successfully defend their title at the 2nd annual Hampton Inn Classic Volleyball Tournament.  The eight team tournament featured teams from Region 24, the Chicago area, St. Louis, and Iowa.  Lincoln (8-2) won their pool with victories over St. Louis Community College (25-16, 25-20, 25-18), The College of DuPage (25-14, 25-11, 25-16), and Region 24 foe Rend Lake College (23-25, 25-21, 25-15, 25-22).  LC advanced to the championship match to face Southeastern Community College from Burlington, IA.  The two teams met in the final of last year's tournament which saw LC win in a five set thriller.  The Lady Lynx did not have as much trouble defeating the Hawks this time around though as Lincoln jumped out to an early lead in set one and cruised to a 25-17, 25-17, 25-12 three set sweep to win the tournament. 

Lincoln College Tournament Totals:

Jenna Merkel           21 kills, 14 digs, 20 points, 7 aces
Chelsea Rhoades     27 Kills,  10 blocks
Kristen Wright         52 set assists, 23 points
Vicky Arriola            47 set assists, 36 points, 7 aces
Megan Tompkins      30 digs, 27 points, 8 aces
Courtney Reinken     16 kills, 3 blocks
Kelly Anderson          20 kills, 9 points, 10 digs
Jana Wright              16 digs, 21 points
Kristi Naylon             10 kills, 11 blocks
Jacqui Kane               14 kills, 6 blocks
Beth Daniels               4 kills, 4 blocks
Stefani Martin            11 points, 3 digs

LC Coach Mark Tippett: I was extremely proud of the effort our team put forth to win this tournament.  We played fundamentaly sound volleyball from start to finish and deserved to win the championship.  Our passing off of serve receive was excellent and our blockers made things very tough for the opposition throughout the tournament.  Once again we were able to sustain a balanced attack and get positive contributions from every player on the team.  It is a lot of fun to work with this group of players, and it is great to see them improving from week to week.

Tournament Notes;  Sophomore middle hitter Chelsea Rhoades (Rushville, IL) and freshman libero Megan Tompkins (Naperville, IL) were named to the All Tournament Team.  Rend Lake College defeated Danville Area College in five sets to win the 3rd place match.

Prior to their match on Wednesday versus MWAC and Region 24 opponent Danville Area College, the Lincoln College Volleyball Team learned that they had been ranked in the top 20 of the latest NJCAA DII National Poll for the first time this season.  The Lady Lynx, who are currently ranked #19, looked like a team worthy of national recognition in the first set as they jumped out to an early lead and took the opener 25-14.  In set two LC (9-2) picked up where they left off and seemed to be in control of the match until an injury to setter Vicky Arriola caused the team to have to adjust to using a one setter system.  The confusion led to a Danville run and a shift in momentum.  Despite a late surge by LC, Danville was able to hold on and win the set 25-22.  In set three Arriola returned to the lineup, but the Lynx still looked rattled and dropped the set to the Jaguars 25-20.  Lincoln regrouped in set four and led all the way in route to a 25-19 victory to force a deciding set to 15.   In the final set LC came out strong and won it by a margin of 15-8. 

LC Stats

Chelsea Rhoades     14 Kills,  9 blocks
Kristen Wright         25 set assists, 13 points
Jenna Merkel           8 kills, 10 points
Kelly Anderson          7 kills, 6 points,  3 blocks
Vicky Arriola            12 set assists, 3 points
Megan Tompkins      10 digs, 9 points
Courtney Reinken     6 kills, 2 blocks
Jana Wright              9 points, 4 digs
Kristi Naylon             3 kills, 1 block
Jacqui Kane               2 kills, 2 blocks

LC Coach Mark Tippett: It seems like whenever we get together with Danville it turns out to be a wild match that usually goes 5 sets and tonight was no exception.  Our passing and defense were fantastic in the first set and a half, but when one of our setters went down we did not respond very well.  Danville's serving got a lot better as the match went on and ours did not which gave away all our early momentum and nearly cost us the match.  We did show a good deal of mental toughness though in the way we played the fourth and fifth sets.  This was the first time this season we have faced a high-pressure situation and our players responded with a fantastic effort to win this important match.

The Lincoln College Volleyball Team traveled to West Burlington, Iowa to participate in the Southeastern CC Invitational.  LC, ranked #19 in last week’s NJCAA National Poll, came away with a 2-2 record and their first victory over a ranked opponent this season. 

Lincoln’s weekend got off to a rocky start with a three set loss to the #18 team in last week’s NJCAA DII Poll, Iowa Central CC.  LC lost by scores of 25-17, 25-6, and 25-16.  The Lady Lynx (11-4) bounced back with a convincing three set victory over Highland CC of Illinois (25-16, 25-20, 25-23).  In their third match, the Lady Lynx battled Highland CC of Kansas who came into the event ranked #17 in last week’s poll.  Lincoln proved to be up to the task by winning the match in 5 sets (25-22, 18-25, 25-20, 16-25, 15-9).  LC’s final matchup was against Clinton CC and it also went 5 sets, but this time Lincoln came out on the wrong end of a tightly contested deciding set to lose the match 25-10, 21-25, 25-21, 12-25, 15-17.   

LC Totals:
Chelsea Rhoades             30 kills, 10 blocks
Jenna Merkel                    25 kills, 19 points
Courtney Reinken           27 kills, 4 blocks
Kelly Anderson                 24 kills, 27 points
Megan Tompkins             22 points, 22 digs
Kristen Wright                   57 set assists, 27 points
Vicky Arriola                       47 set assists, 17 points
Jacqui Kane                        15 kills, 9 blocks
Kristi Naylon                       9 kills, 4 blocks
Jana Wright                        9 points, 8 digs
Beth Daniels                       12 kills, 6 blocks
Stefani Martin                   6 digs, 1 point

LC Coach Mark Tippett:  I was extremely proud of the way our team played this weekend.  We faced some very competitive teams, and I believe our players showed they deserve the nation ranking they received last week.  Iowa Central is an elite caliber team and the loss we took to them was one that we learned a lot from.  The scores may not show it, but we fought hard in that match and made them work for every point.  That attitude carried over into the next match against Highland, IL.  The win over Highland, Kansas was a true team effort and one that should give us confidence as we move through the rest of the season.  It was a little disappointing to end our weekend on a loss, but Clinton had a very athletic team and the match had just the sort of intensity that we need right now to improve.  I am sure that fatigue was a factor as it was our third match of the day, but my players fought hard to the end which is all a coach can ask for.

Lincoln will travel to East Peoria on Tuesday for a Region 24 matchup with Illinois Central CC who is currently ranked #10 in the nation.

On Saturday the Lincoln College Volleyball Team hosted a triangular event featuring Oakton Community College of Des Plaines, IL and Kaskaskia College from Centrailia, IL.  In the first match of the day Lincoln used a balanced attack and stingy defense to defeat Oakton in straight sets, 25-16, 25-20, 25-17.  The Lady Lynx next match was with Kaskaskia, an NJCAA DI opponent.  The first set saw the lead change hands several times before Lincoln was able to take command for a 25-23 victory.  In set 2, LC was able to overcome an early deficit and win 25-20.  Kaskaskia took advantage of several unforced errors to build a lead in set three and eventually win it 25-16.  Lincoln kept their composure though in set four and worked their way to a 14-8 lead.  However, KC mounted another comback to take the lead 23-21.  After a Lincoln side out, a solo block by freshman rightside hitter Beth Daniels tied the set at 23.  Lincoln then scored on a kill by sophomore middle hitter Chelsea Rhoades to set up a match point opportunity.  Kaskasakia was able to side out, but two costly hitting errors would eventually give Lincoln a 26-24 set and match victory.  Lincoln's record improved to 13-7.     

LC Totals:

Chelsea Rhoades     16 Kills,  12 blocks
Kristen Wright         38 set assists, 19 points
Jenna Merkel           23 kills, 10 points
Kelly Anderson         15 kills, 10 points
Vicky Arriola            39 set assists, 4 points
Megan Tompkins      16 digs, 9 points
Courtney Reinken     5 kills, 4 blocks
Jana Wright              12 points, 4 digs
Kristi Naylon             7 kills, 3 blocks
Jacqui Kane              12 kills, 2 blocks
Beth Daniels             8 kills, 6 blocks
Stefani Martin           3 points, 2 digs

LC Coach Mark Tippett: It was a lot of fun to see this team performing at full-strength again.  The return of setter Vicky Arriola meant we were able to use our 6-2 system for the first time in over a week.  This allowed us to run the type of offense we have been succussful with most of the season.  Another bright spot was that our block was strong all day long which made things tough on our opponents.  The Kaskaskia match was very entertaining and one in which we had to work hard for every point.  Our serving consistency was a problem today and it led to a few blown leads, but our passing off of serve receive was very good, so we were able to avoid giving up runs of points.  Overall I was very pleased with our performance.

On Thursday evening the Lincoln College Volleyball Team traveled to Peoria to take on Robert Morris University.  The Lady Lynx continued their four match hot streak by defeating RMU 25-23, 25-19, 25-14.  Lincoln's record improved to 15-7.

LC Stats

Chelsea Rhoades     5 Kills,  4 blocks
Kristen Wright         15 set assists, 6 points
Jenna Merkel           6 kills, 7 points
Kelly Anderson          6 kills, 7 points
Vicky Arriola            15 set assists, 8 points
Megan Tompkins      6 digs, 9 points
Courtney Reinken     3 kills, 2 blocks
Jana Wright              7 points, 7 digs
Kristi Naylon             5 kills, 3 blocks
Jacqui Kane               5 kills, 2 blocks
Beth Daniels              3 kills, 2 blocks
Stefani Martin            5 kills, 3 blocks

The Lincoln College Volleyball Team picked up another win at home on Tuesday evening as they defeated the Greenville JV team in straight sets.  LC (17-8) won by scores of 25-11, 25-17, and 25-14.

LC Stats

Courtney Reinken 7 kills, 1 block
Chelsea Rhoades     6 Kills,  5 blocks
Kristen Wright         14 set assists, 9 points
Kelly Anderson          6 kills, 5 points
Vicky Arriola            10 set assists, 7 points
Megan Tompkins      6 digs, 4 points
Beth Daniels              6 kills, 3 blocks
Jana Wright              6 points, 3 digs
Kristi Naylon             2 kills, 2 points
Jacqui Kane               1 kill, 3 points

The Lady Lynx of Lincoln College defended their home court once again as they defeated the visiting Millikin University JV team in four sets.  Set one saw LC let a commanding lead slip away late and fall to MU 23-25.  In set two Millikin built a 19-13 lead and looked to be on their way to another victory, but this time it was Lincoln who would make a late charge.  LC was able to cut the lead to three at 22-19, when sophomore defensive specialist Jana Wright went behind the service line and led the Lady Lynx to 6 straight points and a 25-22 set two victory.  LC kept the momentum in set three as they led all the way in route to a 25-16 win.  Set four was hard fought by both teams as they traded the lead several times in the early going.  Lincoln would eventually go up 19-17 on a kill by sophomore outside hitter Courthney Reinken.  Sophomore right side hitter Jaqui Kane then served 5 points in a row to get the Lady Lynx to match point at 24-17.  Millikin was able to side out the first match point opportunity for LC and then made things very interesting by scoring 5 in row to close the lead to 24-23.  After an intense volley, an MU hitting error gave Lincoln College the 25-23 set and match victory.  LC's record improved to 18-8 on the year.

LC Stats

Jacqui Kane            16 points, 5 kills
Courtney Reinken     14 kills, 3 digs
Kristen Wright         15 set assists, 11 points
Kelly Anderson          5 kills, 5 digs
Vicky Arriola            16 set assists, 2 points
Megan Tompkins      15 digs, 6 points
Jana Wright              7 points, 8 digs
Kristi Naylon             3 kills, 3 blocks
Chelsea Rhoades      4 kills, 3 blocks
Beth Daniels            4 kills, 3 blocks

LC Coach Mark Tippett: This turned out to be a very interesting and entertaining match.  Both teams played hard and the comebacks that each team was able to pull off showed that neither team will give up easily.  I was impressed by the mental toughness we showed in not letting the first set loss get us down.  We were again without two regular players and had to use a lineup that is likely to cause us to run out of substitutions.  This was the case in set one as we were forced to play players out of position at the end of the set which certainly contributed to our problems closing that one out.  We passed the ball well enough tonight to get ourselves out of a few jams and our serving was more consistent than Millikin's which was a big advantage.  I believe we will get our injured players back later in the week which will be helpful as we push toward the post-season.

Lincoln will travel south this weekend to play at Kaskaskia College and participate in a triagilar at Lindenwood-Belleville. 

10/21/11
10/22/11

The Lincoln College Volleyball season came to an end on Wednesday evening when the Lady Lynx dropped their opening round match in the Region 24 tournament to Lincoln Land CC in straight sets.  Despite the fact LC was without setter Vicky Arriola, due to an ankle inury she suffered in practice on Monday, they put up a very good fight against the #3 seeded Loggers.  Backup setter Jana Wright stepped in and helped to keep Lincoln competetive in the first set.  LC led late in the set 20-15, but a 6 point run by Lincoln Land saw the lead disapear and the Lady Lynx eventually fell 25-23.  Lincoln battled again in set two where the lead changed hands several times.  The set was tied at 17 when again LLCC put together a run that led to a 25-20 victory.  With a 2-0 advantage Lincoln Land came out strong in the third set and led all the way to a 25-17 win.  Lincoln College finishes their season at 21-11.

LC Stats

Chelsea Rhoades     5 Kills,  3 blocks
Kristen Wright         10 set assists, 3 points
Jenna Merkel           4 kills, 8 points
Kelly Anderson          3 kills, 3 points
Megan Tompkins      20 digs, 3 points
Courtney Reinken     5 kills, 1 block
Jana Wright              8 set assists, 2 points
Kristi Naylon             2 kills, 2 block
Jacqui Kane               3 kills, 1 block