Chicago, Ill. — Needing a win to stay alive for conference postseason contention, Illinois Tech men's volleyball delivered a thrilling 3-2 victory over Concordia University Chicago in a nail-biting five-set match at Keating Sports Center. The Scarlet Hawks jumped out to a 2-0 match lead, withstood a two-set comeback by the Cougars by winning the fifth set 15-12 to take the match.
Illinois Tech sits at 7-17 overall and 5-7 in NACC play. The Scarlet Hawks need Concordia Wisconsin to defeat Lakeland on Saturday in Mequon, Wisconsin for the Hawks to get into the conference tournament as the seventh seed. A win by Lakeland would eliminate Illinois Tech from postseason contention.
How It Happened
The match kicked off with Illinois Tech taking advantage of early errors by Concordia Chicago to jump to a 2-0 lead, fueled by a service error and an attack error from the visitors.
Jelani Kimoto and
Aaron Hanny were pivotal early on, contributing key kills and pushing the lead to 5-1. The Cougars fought back as Tate Johnson and Tyrise Armstrong landed crucial kills, but Illinois Tech held strong. Despite a late rally by the Cougars, featuring two kills from Jackson Stella and two service aces by Leon Gudzovski, Illinois Tech sealed the set 25-18 with a decisive kill by
Maximo Dowling.
In the second set, Illinois Tech eked out a narrow 25-22 win. Dowling shone with several critical kills, including the set-winning point assisted by
Samuel Goh. The Cougars stayed competitive with strategic kills from Gudzovski, but a string of attack errors from the visitors, including some from Stella, allowed Illinois Tech to maintain their edge. Concordia's attempts to close the gap were thwarted by their own service errors, enabling Illinois Tech to clinch this tense set.
Concordia Chicago found their stride in the third period, capitalizing on a series of Illinois Tech miscues. Armstrong and Stella spearheaded the Cougars' offense with decisive kills, supported by multiple assists from Elijah Mosher. Illinois Tech's struggles were evident as errors mounted, giving the Cougars a commanding lead. The period ended with a block by Armstrong and Gudzovski, securing a 25-15 victory for Concordia.
The fourth set saw the Cougars surging ahead, exploiting a series of Illinois Tech errors. Alexander Ford was instrumental, delivering multiple kills and participating in a crucial block with Armstrong. Stella made his presence felt with several impactful kills and a pivotal block that brought the score to 24-17. Illinois Tech's service errors plagued them throughout the set, leading to a 25-17 Cougars victory, sealed by an attack error from Dowling.
In the decisive fifth set, Illinois Tech emerged victorious with a 15-12 win over Concordia Chicago. Goh orchestrated the offense with multiple assists, including a kill by
Sebastian Dominguez to open the scoring. Dowling was a standout with a key kill and a service ace, propelling Illinois Tech forward. Though the Cougars briefly took the lead with successful blocks by Marcin Hoffman and Ford, Illinois Tech regained control. A final service ace sealed the win, capping off a hard-fought match.
Scarlet Hawk Standouts
Maximo Dowling
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- 19 kills
- 22.5 points
- 6 digs
- 3 block assists
Samuel Goh
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- 39 assists
- 2 service aces
- 4 digs
Raul Matos
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- 14 digs
- 26 total attempts
Paul Henderson
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- 2 service aces
- 6 digs
- 5.0 points
Concordia Chicago Top Performers
Jackson Stella
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- 19 kills
- 0.324 hitting percentage
- 21.0 points
- 4 total blocks
Elijah Mosher
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- 52 assists
- 0.333 hitting percentage
- 7 digs
- 3 total blocks
Leon Gudzovski
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- 9 kills
- 0.563 hitting percentage
- 2 service aces
- 4 total blocks
Alexander Ford
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- 9 kills
- 0.538 hitting percentage
- 6 total blocks
- 13.0 points
Game Notes:
- Illinois Tech improved to 5-4 lifetime against Concordia Chicago.
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Maximo Dowling - Recorded at least 19 kills in 2 consecutive games.
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Raul Matos - Collected 14 digs, well above their season average of 3.04.
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Aaron Hanny - Registered 7 kills, exceeding their season average of 4.09.
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Jelani Kimoto - Recorded 4 total blocks, exceeding their season average of 2.23.
