The last time the Lindenwood volleyball team lost to a HAAC opponent was on August 24, 2007 to the Benedictine Ravens in the HAAC Preseason Tournament. Tonight, those same Ravens ended Lindenwood's bid for a fourth straight conference tournament championship, coming from behind in five dramatic sets.

Despite committing 11 service errors, the Ravens dictated the tempo and capitalized on Lindenwood mistakes, winning 18-25, 25-15, 19-25, 25-17, 15-12.

With neither team taking control in the first set, Kelsey Biggs served with Lindenwood leading 8-7. The sophomore converted an ace and the Lady Lions would rattle off six straight points before the Ravens would serve again. An Ellen Fandry kill stymied a late Benedictine rally and a Victoria Krause block would give the Lions a 1-0 match lead.

Trailing 6-4 early in game two, Lindenwood tallied three quick points to lead 7-6. The Ravens responded with a 3-0 run of their own and Fandry retaliated with a kill to cut the margin to one. Unfortunately, the Lady Lions would never get closer. Benedictine strung together a 10-3 run that would eventually tie the match at one game apiece.

Game three started much like the second, but a timely Benedictine service error and another kill by Fandry knotted the set at 6. Unexpected kills by Patricia Erb and Biggs would give Lindenwood a two point cushion. Unable to pull away, Krista Yoder recorded three kills in five points to give the Lady Lions an 18-13 lead. Kills by Kelsey Jo Vogler, Krause and Fandry would put the game away.

With Lindenwood leading 10-9, the Ravens scored five straight points and would never relinquish the lead. Down 21-17, Lindenwood could do nothing as Benedictine scored four unanswered points to avoid elimination and force a fifth set.

Serving with a 2-1 advantage, Benedictine's Heather Wansing would net three consecutive aces that put the Ravens in control. After the two teams sideout, the Lady Lions scored six unanswered points, including three straight by Yoder, to take an 8-6 lead. Unfazed, the Ravens responded with a 5-0 run that would prove to be too much. The two teams would sideout from there and a Lindenwood blocking error dashed any hopes that the Lady Lions would sweep the conference regular season and tournament titles.

Lindenwood was led by HAAC Player of the Week, Ellen Fandry, who tallied a team high 18 kills. Yoder had 15 kills and Biggs netted 37 assists. Kaila Schrimpf led the team with 14 digs and Erb added 11.

Lindenwood (29-12, 10-0) must now wait and see if it can earn a first round bid in the NAIA National Tournament.