Box Score A Saturday afternoon thriller at the Bud Cooper Gymnasium went five sets, as Lake Superior State battled Wayne State in GLIAC action. Despite outstanding performances from Elisa Rizzoli, Morgan Deming and Gia Waters, the Lakers (3-9, 0-4 GLIAC) dropped the match in five sets to the Warriors (5-7, 1-3 GLIAC), 15-25, 25-17, 25-18, 19-25, 15-12 in front of another packed crowd in Sault Ste. Marie.

"We battled back and forth," said Laker Head Coach Chelsea Cooke-Tripp. "The team didn't have quit, which I was very proud of. It's a little frustrating, but the whole team had each other's backs. You could see our offense was spread out a little bit, and we had a couple of players going after it."

Rizzoli led LSSU in kills with 13 and digs with 23, her fourth time leading the team this season in both categories. The second-year RS hit .256 and drove the Lakers offense with her power and placement and regularly handled tough chances coming back the other way. Cooke-Tripp described Rizzoli asd a perfectionist who pushes herself in training daily.

Rizzoli starred both ways for LSSU, but saw several excellent performances around her. Deming dominated at the net with a solo block, four block assists and numerous disruptions. The 6'3 middle from Boyne City made a big impact with her lateral movement and timing at the net for the Lakers.

LSSU outblocked the Warriors 11-5, scoring four solo blocks and 14 assists. The Lakers also limited Wayne State to a .122 hitting percentage with 36 attacking errors by the visitors. Meanwhile, Lake State only committed just over three attacking errors per set.

"One of the things we worked on this past week was having a lot more control at the net," said Cooke-Tripp. "Also staying aggressive, finding those hitters, getting in front of them and pressing hard back."

Waters hit .259, scoring nine kills for LSSU. She provided punch from the back line, hitting the ball with pace and regularly forcing Wayne State to adjust to another quality attacking threat.

Cooke-Tripp said, "She's one of those players you can put in literally any position. If I need something, I can call on her, and she did her job today."

Mia Garcia tallied 22 digs for LSSU and set for three assists.

Cooke-Tripp praised the home fans after two outstanding crowds over the weekend. "The fans were fantastic. They definitely helped keep the energy up, even when we were low. They got us back into it. I'm really happy and excited for future crowds coming in."

The Lakers remain at home for their next match, hosting Wisconsin Parkside Friday at 6:00 PM. Get your tickets now online, and download the new Lake Superior State Lakers mobile app, now available on the App Store and Google Play to follow your favorite Laker teams with push notifications for the latest news and score updates.