The Lindenwood men's volleyball team (0-3) played another tough match on Friday, as the Lions lost 3-0 to No. 12 UC Irvine (1-0) in Stanford, Calif.
 
OVERVIEW
For the second night in a row, the Lions extended the first set.  Connor Sheehan started the night with a service ace, as the two squads played close early leading to a 10-10 tie.  After a kill by A.J. Lewis, Lindenwood took a 20-17 lead.  UC Irvine rattled off three-straight points to tie the game again.  The final tie in the first set came at 25-25, but the Anteaters pulled out the 27-25 win in the opening set.
 
UC Irvine took control in the second set after the Lions struggled to slow the offensive production.  The Anteaters won the second set by a final of 25-20, which made it tough for Lindenwood to gain momentum.  Phil Swartz registered a kill to make it a 15-12 margin but UC Irvine maintained its distance to a 25-18 win to close out the match.
 
Lewis led the squad with 12 kills on 31 attempts, while Diego Negron hit .500 with nine kills.  Alex Pappas was efficient again with five kills on eight attempts, as he added four total blocks.  Sheehan compiled 25 assists, registered three blocks, and served up a pair of aces.
 
UP NEXT
Lindenwood will host Central State on Saturday, January 22 at 7:00 p.m. for the home opener inside Hyland Arena in St. Charles, Mo.