Lakers On Wrong End Of Five-Set Comeback

UPLAND, Ind. – For the second day in a row, Roosevelt found itself in a five-set thriller, but unfortunately came up short to Cumberland (Tenn.) on Friday on the first day of the AMF Memorial Tournament hosted by Taylor University in Upland, Ind.

The Lakers (5-5) came out swinging in the first two sets and hit above .225 in both games to take an early 2-0 advantage. However, the momentum didn't last as the Phoenix captured the final three sets to win the match 16-25, 22-25, 25-23, 25-19, 15-11. Three Lakers finished with double-digit kills and three Roosevelt players also had at least 10 digs in the match.

Joana Rafols got the party started for Roosevelt with five kills in the opening set as the Lakers broke a 3-3 tie with five straight points then won another six points after Cumberland scored on a service error. Rafols finished with a team-best 14 kills in the match after scoring 18 kills during Thursday's win over Governors State.

Roosevelt found itself in some early trouble in the second set after conceding four of the first five points, but were able to rally to tie the match on the back of two kills from Emily DeBlecourt. That set the stage for a 7-0 run that gave the Lakers the momentum for good with Alyssa Rodda serving up two aces to help the Lakers overturn a 13-11 deficit into an 18-13 lead.

The Lakers had several opportunities to close out the match in the third set after a trio of errors gave them a 13-9 lead midway through the game. Roosevelt would push the lead out to as much as 23-18 before conceding the final seven points of the set to be forced into a fourth set. The Lakers would lose five of the first six points in the fourth before rallying to tie the set at 11. Yet Cumberland broke a 13-13 tie with four straight points and never relinquished the lead.

In the deciding set, the energy swung back and forth between the two teams, but Roosevelt never held an edge in the fifth. It was able to tie it on a handful of occasions before losing five of six points after a 7-7 tie to lose a heartbreaking decider.

DeBlecourt finished with 13 kills on an impressive .423 hitting percentage, the second best of her career behind her debut for the Lakers last year. Viktoria Marysheva smacked down 10 kills and Yuliia Shchepkina added nine kills as well. DeBlecourt also added 10 digs for her second straight double-double and the third one of her career at Roosevelt. Isa Grana secured her first double-double with 32 assists and a team-best 16 digs while Rodda had 14 digs in addition to her four aces in Friday's setback.

The Lakers continue their road trip Saturday with a doubleheader at the AMF Memorial Tournament against a pair of teams that received votes in the latest NAIA Top 25 Poll. Roosevelt faces IU Kokomo at 10:30 a.m. then faces the host Taylor at 3:30 p.m.