Lizards claim intramural volleyball title Published Oct. 11, 2007 By John E. Banks Tinker Public Affairs TINKER AIR FORCE BASE -- The two-time, defending intramural volleyball base champions, the Leaping Lizards, successfully defended their title Oct. 5. The Lizards defeated the 552nd Training Squadron 25-12, 22-25, 15-5 en route to the victory in front of more than 100 fans. The defending champions got off to a fast start with great serving and powerful hitting. The attack was led by Patrick Steelman and Steven Taron, who had seven kills apiece. They each also scored three services aces, leading the Lizards to a 25-12 victory in game one. "We had to be on top of our game and play with poise," said Steelman. The 552nd TRS made some lineup changes and employed a different strategy to get back into the match. While trailing 16-9, they summoned up untapped energy and tied the score at 22. Three straight services aces garnered them the victory and tied the championship match at 1-1. In the third and deciding game, the Lizards seized their opportunity and garnered the championship with a decisive 15-5 triumph. "In the third game, we had to lean on our championship experience from the previous couple of years and it definitely paid off for us," said Steelman. The base champions completed their championship run with an unblemished 16-0 season record, while the 552nd TRS finished their season at 14-3.