LYLE — The Lyle-Pacelli volleyball team battled back as hard as it could, but it couldn’t finish off Schaffer Academy as it lost in five games in Lyle Tuesday.

The Athletics lost by scores of 26-24, 25-18, 24-26, 13-25, 15-9.

LP trailed 24-22 in the third game when it scored four straight points to win it. Courtney Walter had an ace serve to make it 24-24 and Sarah Holtz hit a tip kill to make it 25-24. LP won the fourth game despite a 20-minute delay due to the cage over one of the ceilling lights being knocked off by an errant volleyball.

LP led 5-3 when the delay started and it scored the first four points to take control after the delay.

“I let them joke around, bounce around and do some cheers [during the delay]. I told them to stay fired up and they came out firing in that game,” LP head coach Lindsay Leif said. “I really wish they could hold on to pull out some of these close ones.”

LP (4-6 overall, 2-3 SEC) pulled to within 10-9 in the final game on a Madison Truckenmiller block kill, but Schaeffer (2-4 overall, 1-2 SEC) scored the last five points of the game.

Leif said the Athletics hurt themselves by missing too many serves in the match.

“If you go back to the three games we didn’t pull it out, it all came down to missing our serves,” she said. “When you miss that first serve you hand the momentum back to the other team and you don’t feel good about missing the serve.”

The good news for LP is it finally has its whole roster intact. Bethany Strouf has returned from injury and the whole squad is getting re-acquainted.

“This was our first game with our full lineup,” Leif said. “Beth’s still battling back a little bit and she’s such a key aspect in the passing game. I know they’re all really happy to have her back on the court and it feels like the final puzzle piece is back.”

Schaeffer 3, LP 2

LP stats: Madison Truckenmiller, 16 kills, 18-for-19 serving, 2 ace blocks; Sarah Holtz, 15 kills, 18 digs, 23-for-24 serving, 7 aces, 2 ace blocks; Courtney Walter, 20 set assists, 5 kills; Kendal Truckenmiller, 7-for-7 serving; Faith King, 7 digs; Lucy Nelson, 3 ace serves; Bethany Strouf, 17-for-17 serve receives

LP 3, Riceville 0 (Monday)

LP stats: Sarah Holtz, 14 kills, 12-for-13 serving, 2 ace serves; Bethany Strouf, 7 kills, 5 digs, 9-for-9 serving, 3 ace serves; Madison Truckenmiller, 4 kills, 4 ace serves, 3 ace blocks; Courtney Walter, 19 set assists, 3 ace serves; Brooke Walter, 7 set assists, 2 kills