FOND DU LAC – Lakeland University spotted Marian University two sets before roaring back for a five-set win in its Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference men's volleyball debut Friday night.
The Muskies rallied for a dramatic 22-25, 20-25, 25-14, 25-16, 15-13 victory, their first five-set victory of the season. The two teams met as members of the NACC for the first time and Lakeland won its second straight match and improved to 3-5 overall this season.
The Muskies picked up their hitting after the first two sets and also put up a sturdy block, finishing with 10 team blocks for the night. Lakeland also took advantage as Marian (4-5 overall) cooled off after a hot start, finishing with negative hitting percentages in the third and fourth sets.
Lakeland played from behind the entire first set and then faded late in the second set, but then was in total control of the next two sets. The Muskies then built a 10-5 lead in the deciding fifth set before Marian clawed back in it with four straight points, setting up a great finish.
Lakeland bounced back to earn a match point at 14-12 after a kill by
Matt Misheck (
Fr.-Oak Forest, Ill.), but a service error gave Marian a chance to extend the match. The Muskies closed it out, though, with
Desmond Williams (
Jr.-Riverside, Calif.) putting away the winner after the last of 38 assists by
Addison Mertler (
Jr.-Boca Raton, Fla.).
Jarrod Verhamme (
Fr.-Long Beach, Calif.) led the attack with 15 kills and
Dakota Hunter (
Jr.-Waukesha, Wis.) added 12 kills. Williams also filled in seven kills and Misheck added six as Lakeland finished with 45 kills and 28 errors in 127 swings (.134 hitting percentage).
J.T. Levitt (
Jr.-Schaumburg, Ill.) led the team with 19 digs while
Trevor Perry (
Sr.-Mililani, Hawaii) paced the blocking with seven total blocks (one solo, six assisted).
Jon Smallpage and Aaron Wendels had 12 kills each for Marian, which hit .058 as a team (34 kills, 27 errors) and starting with .286 hitting percentages in each of the first two sets.
The Muskies are back in action Saturday when they travel to face Concordia University Wisconsin at 1 p.m. in Mequon.
