WINONA LAKE - When it looked as though a shorthanded Grace volleyball team was going to run out of gas against Bethel Wednesday at Lancer Gym, the only option the Lancers had was to reach down and find the reserve tank of energy inside each one of them because there was no chance to fill up on the bench.

The Lancers found the fuel they needed time and time again, but it wasn't enough as the Pilots outlasted Grace in five games 15-10, 10-15, 15-11, 12-15, 15-9.

For the entire match, Grace played with six players. There were no substitutions made. Lancer coach Candace Moats didn't have that option.

Three of Grace's players will be having surgery this month - two for knee problems and one for a back - and a fourth player sat out with an illness. But the Lancers have been getting used to the situation, having had the limited numbers for about two weeks.

"These girls are playing on heart right now," Moats said. "It is like this tragedy is turning into triumph. We have more kids sitting on the bench than players. Our heart is what is doing it. It is taking us to levels that are exciting."

Because of the lack of depth, it looked at times like Grace wouldn't have enough to get the match to four games, let alone five games.

"The kids that are playing right now are getting better and better," Moats said. "When it comes to tournaments, that is when we are really tested because we will have four or five matches, and they can go five games each. One night is easy for us. We feel we can go five or whatever it takes us."

After capturing the fourth game 15-12, the Lancers looked as though they had run out of fuel in the fifth and deciding game, falling behind 13-5. But Grace reached down and was able to make a contest out of that game before succumbing 15-9.

"We rose to the occasion and had to dig deep down," Moats said. "I told them in the huddle that whatever we do, we do together because we are it. We can't lose on selfishness. If we are going to lose, then let's lose with good volleyball. That is what we had tonight. We had good volleyball going on, but they had more than we did, and they beat us."

Led by two 6-foot-1 freshmen, Summer Campbell and Katie Malkewicz, the Pilots dominated the early going and rattled off six straight points to turn a 6-5 lead into a 12-5 margin. Grace closed to within 14-10 before losing 15-10.

In game two, Grace broke away from a 7-7 tie on a kill by Sarah Calhoun, an ace by Melissa Rants and a block by DeAnna Beachy for a 10-7 advantage. Grace would be able to close the game out to tie the match.

Bethel opened up game three with two kills and a block by Campbell for a 4-0 lead and never looked back before Grace won game four.

"Bethel has depth. If somebody is not playing well, they go to someone else, and they don't go down," Moats said. "They move people around, and they still have talent."

Grace was led by freshman Kate Millen, who pounded out 25 kills. Fellow freshman Kelli Irish added 10 kills and six aces. Also, Rants had 50 assists, Molly Maidment 21 digs and Sarah Calhoun 17 digs.

Grace (15-7) is at the University of Michigan-Dearborn Invitational Friday and Saturday. [[In-content Ad]]