Mequon, Wis. - With a chance to move up in the standings and clinch a postseason conference tournament berth, the Illinois Tech men's volleyball team ran into a determined host Concordia Wisconsin squad Saturday afternoon. The Falcons won a closely-contested opening set, and then won convincingly in the pivotal second set, en route to a 3-1 match victory over the Scarlet Hawks. The Scarlet Hawks fell to 5-5 in NACC play, and 9-14 overall. The Falcons improved to 7-3 in conference, and 11-9 overall, clinching a postseason berth in the process.
While unable to move up in the conference standings, the Scarlet Hawks nonetheless still control their postseason destiny. They currently sit in seventh place in the conference standings, with a chance to clinch a tournament berth over their final two regular season matches this coming week. The top eight teams qualify for the conference postseason tournament. The Hawks still have a chance to move up into the six seed, but will need a combination of Marian losses and Scarlet Hawk victories. The Hawks own the tie-breaker over the Sabres based on head-to-head performance.
Concordia Wisconsin 3 - Illinois Tech 1 (26-24, 25-14, 23-25, 25-20)
- Set 1: The opening set featured 19 tie scores and nine lead changes, with neither team able to separate themselves in a hard-fought battle. Trailing 15-14, the Scarlet Hawks used a 6-3 run to hold a 20-18 lead late in the set. A 4-1 counter by CUW put the Falcons up 22-21. Illinois Tech responded with a 3-1 run to hold a 24-23 advantage. But the Falcons closed out the match winning the subsequent three points. Jackson Van Engen led the Hawks with 6 kills.
- Set 2: Illinois Tech's only lead of the second set came on the set's first point from a Van Engen kill. The two teams traded the next three points to even the score at 2-2, and from there, Concordia Wisconsin took over. The Falcons used two 4-0 runs to gain separation from the Hawks, and then used a 5-0 run to close out the set. Van Engen again paced the Hawks with 3 kills.
- Set 3: Set three was another competitive battle, with 12 tie scores and 4 lead changes. But with the Scarlet Hawks trailing 2-0 in the match, they needed a set win to stay alive, and they got what they needed. Tied at 6-6, Illinois Tech used a 4-1 run to take a 10-7 lead midway through the set. But a 13-7 run by the Falcons erased the Hawks' lead and gave CUW the advantage, 20-17. The Hawks would respond, however, and when a Riley Laite kill landed to complete an 8-3 run, Illinois Tech secured the set three victory. Grant Couper and Aaron Hanny each had three kills for the Scarlet Hawks.
- Set 4: The Scarlet Hawks held early leads in the fourth set, the last coming at 3-2. The Falcons would win the next three points to take a 5-3 lead they would never relinquish. The Scarlet Hawks would not go quietly, however. After falling behind 15-10, the Hawks would use an 8-4 run to pull within one point at 19-18. But a 4-0 counter-punch by CUW gave the Falcons a 23-18 lead, and the Hawks could only trade points down the stretch, allowing the Falcons to secure the match victory. Laite led the Hawks with 4 kills.
Scarlet Hawk Standouts
Falcons Watch
- Spencer Herman led all players with 15 kills, while adding 2 service aces, 9 digs and 3 total blocks.
- Lucas Beres added 10 kills and 6 combined blocks.
- Logan Kebisek tallied 43 assists.
- Tate Miller with 6 kills and 21 receptions without error.
Inside The Box Score
- Illinois Tech finished with a .125 attack percentage; CUW finished at .254.
- The Scarlet Hawks had 15 service errors; the Falcons had 20.
- The four-set match featured 36 tie scores and 15 lead changes.
Up Next
The Scarlet Hawks return home to the Keating Center on Wednesday, April 3rd, when they host the Wisconsin Lutheran Warriors (1-9 NACC record) at 7:00 PM in an important late-season conference match with postseason implications.
