FOND DU LAC – Lakeland University won one close set but couldn't come out on top in two more and dropped a four-set decision to Marian University in a Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference men's volleyball match Wednesday night.
The Sabres finished with a 25-16, 30-32, 25-21, 26-24 win, taking the final two sets after the Muskies had won an extra-long second set to even the match. Lakeland dropped to 1-4 in the NACC and 4-7 overall, while the Sabres moved to 3-2 in conference play (4-8 overall).
An even matchup throughout saw 42 ties and 21 lead changes over the four sets. Despite losing the first set and trailing late in the second though, the Muskies fought back to tie the match at 1-1. Lakeland staved off four set points, including two after trailing 24-22, and closed it out with
Matt Misheck (
So.-Oak Forest, Ill.) delivering a pair of kills late, including the winning 32nd point.
The third set also featured 12 ties and five lead changes, but Marian broke a 20-20 tie with four straight points and went on to win. The Sabres also never trailed in the fourth set, though the Muskies rallied from trailing by seven points on seven different occasions, including as late as 19-12. Lakeland tied it at 22-22 and again at 23-23 and 24-24 before a service error and a Marian kill closed out the match.
Misheck and
Nathan Vanderwaal (
Jr.-Rockford, Ill.) both finished with 14 kills and
Desmond Williams (
Sr.-Riverside, Calif.) also posted 13 kills plus five blocks (two solo, three assisted). Vanderwaal also added 11 digs for a double-double,
Cameron Ekum (
So.-Mukwonago, Wis.) finished with 36 assists and
J.T. Levitt (
Sr.-Schaumburg, Ill.) led the team with 15 digs.
Lakeland hit .127 as a team with 47 kills and 30 errors, while Marian hit at a .258 rate with 53 kills and 21 errors. Jon Smallpage finished with a match-high 16 kills for the Sabres.
The Muskies now are home for their match against Milwaukee School of Engineering on Saturday. The match previously was scheduled to be played at MSOE, but the Raiders are hosting the NACC Men's Basketball Tournament that day so the teams agreed to switch the sites of their two regular season meetings. Lakeland will host MSOE this Saturday at 2 p.m., and the teams will also play in Milwaukee Wednesday, March 13 at 7 p.m.
