CANTON, Ohio – Roosevelt shook off a tough first four sets to its season Friday to split a season-opening twinbill at the Hall of Fame City Classic hosted by Malone in Canton, Ohio.

The Lakers (1-1) could not have been much closer in the first match of the day against Thomas More, battling the Saints to the bitter end in all three sets. Roosevelt pushed the first two sets past regulation before dropping them 26-24 and 30-28 then could not overcome some late momentum to lose the third set 25-21.

Malone came out and scored a simple 25-17 win in the opening set of Roosevelt's second match of the day, but the Lakers found their groove after that. The Lakers won the next three sets 25-16, 25-17 and 25-21 to secure their first Division II victory to complete their first day of competition.

Thomas More 3, Roosevelt 0
Both the Lakers and Saints had their moments in Roosevelt's first match of the day as the momentum swung between the two sides. Viktoria Marysheva led the way with 12 kills for the Lakers and Smiech added seven in her Roosevelt debut while hitting .273. Yuliia Shchepkina had two solo blocks, two assisted blocks and four kills as well to aid in the effort.

Neither team led by more than three points in the opening set with the Lakers rallying both times to tie the score after falling behind. Two big kills from Natalia Smiech started a four-point rally for Roosevelt to give it a 21-20 lead before the Saints eked out the opening set.

Roosevelt came out swinging in the second set to claim a 5-1 lead and held the lead until Thomas More went on an 8-1 run for its first advantage. The Lakers quickly tied the set at 18 and ended up with five chances to win the set. It was a similar story in the third set as the Lakers took an early lead and went on a 4-0 run to take a 20-18 edge before losing seven of the final eight points.

Roosevelt 3, Malone 1
Three Lakers finished in double figures in the kills department and Zoe Hutchinson tied her career high in assists to help Roosevelt even its record. Marysheva again led the way for Roosevelt with 15 kills, but was joined in double digits by Shchepkina with 13 and Logan Cofield, who had 10 kills. Hutchinson dealt 49 assists to help the Lakers hit .230 as a team and Shchepkina also helped out with five more blocks.

It did not look like things were going to fall Roosevelt's way after Malone took the first set then rocketed out to an 11-4 lead in the second. However, the Lakers won 10 of the next 13 points with two kills from Marysheva to cap off the rally and tie the set. After the Pioneers won a point to lead 15-14, the Lakers rattled off four straight points to wrestle control of the set then won the final seven points to end it.

Roosevelt won 10 of the first 14 points in the third set and never stopped adding the pressure on Malone. The hosts never got to closer than three points the rest of the set with Marysheva finishing with five kills and Smiech adding four kills in the set.

The fourth set belonged to Shchepkina after she smashed down six kills, including the match-sealing kill. The sophomore also added two blocks while Marysheva closed with four kills in the set to clinch the victory.

UP NEXT: The Lakers will travel not too far away to North Canton, Ohio to face Lake Erie and Walsh in the second half of the Hall of Fame City Classic hosted by Walsh. This will be the first ever meeting between the Lakers and both programs.