Chicago, Ill. — Illinois Tech men's volleyball returned to the Keating Sports Center on Saturday for a senior day matchup against Edgewood University in another important conference match.  The Hawks faced a tough challenge, falling to the Eagles in straight sets, 3-0.  In the contest, senior Paul Henderson established a new career-high in kills with 19.

The Scarlet Hawks fell to 6-14 overall and 4-5 in NACC play. The Eagles improved to 8-11 overall and 5-4 in conference.

Prior to the match, the team honored their class of 2026 seniors in Paul Henderson, Jelani Kimoto and Elijah Johnson.

How It Happened

The Scarlet Hawks kicked off the match against the Eagles with a fiercely contested opening set, marked by multiple lead changes. Paul Henderson made his mark early, driving Illinois Tech's offense with key kills, including the match's opening point from Samuel Goh's assist. Yet, the Eagles seized momentum, capitalizing on pivotal plays, including Oakley Griggs' decisive kill, assisted by Ethan Hoffert, to clinch the set 25-21.

In the second set, Edgewood edged out Illinois Tech with another 25-21 win. The Scarlet Hawks battled through service and attack errors that allowed the Eagles to gain an early advantage. Edgewood's Cade Schueller played a crucial role, notching multiple kills, including one that pushed the score to 21-19. Despite Henderson's efforts to keep the Scarlet Hawks in contention, the Eagles' relentless scoring, punctuated by Owen Hartjes' final kill, sealed the set.

The third set saw the Eagles take command from the start with a 5-0 run, featuring a kill from Schueller and a service ace. Illinois Tech struggled to regain their rhythm, with errors compounding their difficulties. Henderson continued to fight back, scoring several points with assists from Matthew Michler, but Edgewood maintained control. Hoffert's consistent setting led to key plays, including kills by Schueller and Ryder Hill-Zastrow. Despite Illinois Tech's attempts to capitalize on Edgewood's service errors, a service error by Kyle Boger ended the set at 25-12 in favor of the Eagles.

Scarlet Hawk Standouts

Paul Henderson  
----------------------  
- 19 kills (career-high) on 33 attempts with a .485 hitting percentage  
- 21.5 points  
- two blocks  

Matthew Michler  
----------------------  
- 18 assists  
- one service ace  
- three digs  

Maximo Dowling  
----------------------  
- four digs  
- one block assist  
- 3.5 points  

Edgewood Top Performers

Cade Schueller
----------------------
- 13 kills
- 0 errors
- 14.0 points

Oakley Griggs
----------------------
- 8 kills
- 8.0 points
- 3 digs

Ethan Hoffert
----------------------
- 22 assists
- 5 digs
- 1 service ace

Game Notes:
- Illinois Tech drops to 4-2 lifetime against Edgewood, losing the last two matches.
- Henderson achieved a career-high of 19 kills.

Up Next
The Scarlet Hawks host NACC foe Benedictine University on Tuesday, March 24th in the team's home finale at 7:00 PM at the Keating Sports Center.