Lake Superior State wrapped up its final day at the Midwest Regional Crossover Tournament with a pair of five-set thrillers. The Lakers took the Kentucky Wesleyan Panthers to the whiskers but ended up dropping the result in Hammond, IN 21-25, 25-18, 23-25, 25-23, 15-13. Earlier in the day, LSSU battled back after dropping the first two sets versus Malone University, earning the victory 16-25, 22-25, 25-20, 25-13, 21-19.

"Our second game we started off really well," said Laker Head Coach Chelsea Cook-Tripp. "We made a lot of errors in that match whether it was due to being tired or lack of focus. That part is frustrating but we still showed a lot of grit and effort today."

Against the Panthers, second-year RS Elisa Rizzoli continued to dominate the opposition, leading the Lakers with 15 kills, her 13th time leading the team in kills this season. She also recorded 13 digs in the match.

In the early-slot contest against the Pioneers, Cooke-Tripp noted how an adjustment to the team's formation helped spark a comeback after dropping the opening two sets. The Lakers won the match after going deep into the fifth set.

"The two sets of the first match I didn't love but it was still competitive," said Cooke-Tripp. "I just made a different lineup change, changing up what other teams would have scouted for us and how we have recently been playing and it really worked to our advantage."

Fourth-year Rachel Steele used that adjustment to her advantage against Malone. "Rachel had a fantastic first match," noted Cooke-Tripp. "I had her on the right side where she has been scoring and having really good numbers. She stayed aggressive and played with an open mind." Steele smacked for a career-high in kills with 18, tying Rizzoli for all Lakers in that category for the match. 

First-year Azra Bilgiçer had an impressive weekend as well. She totaled 73 assists for the day. Bilgiçer added 36 assists against the Panthers and opened the day with a new career-high 37 in the win over Malone.

Next weekend, the Lakers return home to host a pair of games for Great Lake State Weekend. Friday, October 23rd, they face off with the Purdue Northwest Lions, that match starts at 12:00 PM. Then on the 24th, they compete against #1 Ferris State with first serve set for 2:00 PM. It's also Alumni Weekend for Laker Volleyball, and the team eagerly anticipates the return of many former players.

"We just have to come and play really clean ball and I know we can do it as long as we are focused and working together as a team." said Cooke-Tripp. 

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