River Forest, ILL – In a back-and-forth men's volleyball clash, Illinois Tech put up a strong fight but ultimately fell to Dominican in four sets (27-25, 16-25, 25-22, 25-17). The Scarlet Hawks responded impressively in the second set, dominating play with efficient offense and tough serving, but the Stars regrouped to take the final two sets and claim the victory.
Despite the loss, Illinois Tech remains competitive in conference play, now sitting at 8-10 overall and 4-2 in NACC action. The Stars improved to 9-8 and 5-1, respectively.
 
How It Happened
The opening set was a tight battle featuring multiple ties and lead changes. Dominican held off a late Illinois Tech push to win 27-25. However, the Scarlet Hawks responded in a big way in the second set, controlling the tempo from start to finish.
Illinois Tech stormed out to an early 5-1 lead behind kills from Raul Matos and Jelani Kimoto. The Hawks' offensive efficiency soared in the set, hitting .400 as a team while committing just three attack errors. Elijah Johnson orchestrated the attack well, tallying multiple assists and mixing up the offense to keep Dominican's blockers off balance.
Defensively, Illinois Tech stifled Dominican, holding them to a .143 hitting percentage in the set. Matos and Kimoto sealed the set with a block, giving Illinois Tech a commanding 25-16 win.
Despite their second-set dominance, the Scarlet Hawks couldn't maintain their momentum, as Dominican took control late in the third set before cruising in the fourth to claim the match.
 
Scarlet Hawk Standouts

• Jelani Kimoto – Recorded 8 kills, hitting an efficient .438.
• Elijah Johnson – Had a strong all-around game with 13 digs and 37 assists while also adding 2 service aces.
• Paul Henderson – Led the team with 12 kills and also recorded 7 digs.

 
Inside the Box Score

• Illinois Tech finished with a .208 hitting percentage, compared to Dominican's .287.
• The Scarlet Hawks were dominant in the second set, hitting .400 with only three errors.
• Dominican held a 15 to 6 advantage in blocks, making a big impact in the later sets.
• Illinois Tech's defense kept them in the match, finishing with 49 digs to Dominican's 54.

 
Up Next
The Scarlet Hawks hit the road for Spring Break this weekend as they head to sunny California to compete in the Cal Lutheran Tournament, where they will play three matches over the weekend. Their first match-up is set for Friday, March 14, against North Park University at 5:00 PM CST.