Tenth-ranked Lourdes rallied from a two sets to one deficit to defeat 13^th-ranked Georgetown (Ky.) 25-14, 25-27, 26-28, 25-23, 15-9 on Friday evening inside the Russell J. Ebeid Recreation Center.
 
"This was a good win against a quality team," head coach Greg Reitz said afterwards.  "We were tested and had to make plays in critical moments which we did.  The entire team had to play together to get the win which is key for us as we head later into the season."
 
An 8-1 run in the opening set allowed Lourdes to pull in front 15-6 as the Gray Wolves took advantage of five service aces.  Georgetown managed just four kills in the opening stanza, hitting -.091.
 
The visitors responded in the second.  Trailing 13-9, Lourdes scored six of the next eight points to pull even with the Tigers but never managed to take the lead down the stretch as Georgetown evened the match at one set each.
 
Lourdes held an 21-18 lead in the third when the Tigers scored five straight points to pull in front.  The Gray Wolves fought off three set points before Georgetown finally closed the set.
 
In the fourth, Lourdes used an 8-2 spurt to build a 21-17 lead, only to see the Tigers even the set at 21.  The Gray Wolves managed to stay in front though, despite nine ties in the set, forcing the decisive stanza.
 
The Gray Wolves never trailed in the fifth.  With the set tied at five, Lourdes scored six consecutive points, using the service of Gabriel Vianna (Belo Horizonte, Brazil/Colegio do Instituto Padre Machado) to take the lead for good and pull out the victory.
 
Jeff Lam (Richmond, B.C./Hugh McRoberts H.S.) became the Gray Wolves' all-time leader in kills, recording 24 in the match to give him 1,196 for his career, breaking Evan Gebert's (2017-2020) previous school record of 1,179 kills.  Lam also added 11 digs for the double-double.
 
Eduardo Ayala (Curitiba, Brazil/Colegio Dom Bosco) added 17 kills and hit .395 on the night while Sawyer Schafer (Monroeville, Ohio/Monroeville H.S.) handed out 44 assists, leading an offense that hit .250 as a team.
 
Defensively, Guga Heidrich (Braco do Norte, Brazil/Colegio Unificado) had a match-high 19 digs while Tomas Olak (Rowville, Australia/Mazenod College) added 21 more.  Darius Passley-Bennett (Wimbledon, England/Petchey Academy) registered three blocks, include two in the pivotal fifth set.
 
Krzysztof Kowalski led Georgetown (8-5) with 16 kills while Kacper Dobrowolski had 40 assists and 12 digs.  He quarterbacked the Tigers offense that hit .171 on the night.
 
The Gray Wolves finished with a 65-47 dig advantage while the Tigers held a 13-6 block edge.
 
Lourdes (7-2) takes to the road on Saturday evening to face Lawrence Tech.  First serve is set for 5 p.m. inside of the Ridler Fieldhouse in Southfield, Mich.