ROMEOVILLE, Ill. –  The Pepperdine men's volleyball team (4-1), who landed at No. 6 in the AVCA national poll this week, reverse swept the Lewis University Flyers (5-2) to come back to Malibu a perfect 2-0 on the road.
 
"The fight and quality of play was our big emphasis this week in training and as we competed this weekend. Our team showed incredible fight to be able to turn the game around and play some really good volleyball," head coach Jonathan Winder said. "Cole Hartke did everything for us tonight and led really well to carry us for a long time. Lewis is a really good team that played really well in a great atmosphere. A special win for the Waves to show what we're made of."
 
In a closely contested first set, the stacked up six attack errors that ended up making the difference in a 23-25 set score. Cole Hartke, on a career-night, led the team in digs and kills with five and three respectively, as Pepperdine narrowly dropped the first set, hitting .200 as a team.
 
The second set ended in an identical score of 23-25. Hartke once again led the Waves, tallying over half the team's kills with eight of his own throughout the set. With three lead changes, the match was back and forth all afternoon, despite Pepperdine now staring down a 0-2 deficit.
 
Rallying back in the third set, five digs from Ryan Barnett and a .357 hitting percentage on seven kills from Hartke gave the Waves the first set win of the afternoon, reversing the score 25-23. The third ended with Zach Chapin making a run at the service line and Hartke closing it out on an ace and forced-Flyer error.
 
Heading to the fourth needing a win, it was the trio of Hartke, Barnett, and Grant Lamoureux who combined for all 11 Wave kills as Pepperdine took the most lopsided-set of the afternoon 25-17. Andrej Polomac remained steady at setter, putting together nine assists and a block assist in the fourth. Making a 10-4 run to give the Waves an advantage for the remainder of the fourth, Lamoureux and Hartke both tallied an ace and a kill in the stretch.
 
With a race to 15 in the fifth set, Hartke put the cherry on top of a monster performance with six kills and a block assist. Barnett stepped behind the service line for a pivotal four-point stretch, aiding the Waves in taking the 14-11 lead as the reverse sweep was secured on a block from Hartke and James Eadie, taking the fifth and final set 15-11 to win the match 3-2.
 
PEPPERDINE VS. LEWIS UNIVERSITY
 
PEPPERDINE ATTACK BY SET
Set      K         E         TA       Pct 
1         12       6         30       .200
2         15       4         35       .314
3         14      4         42       .238
4         11      3         22       .364
5         11      3         20       .400
 
 
LEWIS ATTACK BY SET
Set      K         E         TA       Pct 
1         12       3         27       .333
2         15       4         34       .324
3         14      7         45       .156
4         6         8         25       -.080
5         5         3         13       .154
 
The Waves are back home this week, hosting No. 2 and reigning national champion Long Beach State Friday night in Firestone Fieldhouse. First serve is scheduled for 6 p.m. with streaming available on B1G+ and live stats available at www.pepperdinewaves.com
 
 
GAME NOTES
• Leading the team in the face of adversity, Cole Hartke had a career-high 35 points, recording 29 kills on the afternoon, hitting .386 with four blocks, 11 digs, and two aces.
• Ryan Barnett led the Waves in digs with 13.
• Hartke and Grant Lamoureux both tallied two aces on the afternoon.
• The Waves hit the best in the fifth set at .400, followed closely by .364 in the fourth set.
• Andrej Polomac, consistent with every match this year, led the Waves in assists with 53.
• The only solo stuff tonight came from Hartke, who also had a hand in six of the 13 total blocks.
• James Eadie led the team in blocks, having a hand in eight.
 
ABOUT PEPPERDINE MEN'S VOLLEYBALL
Pepperdine men's volleyball boasts one of the richest histories in collegiate volleyball, with five NCAA National Championships. Four of those championships came under the direction of Hall of Fame coach Marv Dunphy who totaled 612 victories in 34 seasons at the helm. With 19 NCAA Appearances and 63 All-Americans, the program has consistently been a destination for top talent across the country. Under current head coach Jonathan Winder, the Waves reached the NCAA Final Four in his third season at the helm in 2025.
 
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