Consistency was hard to find for the Lakeland University men's volleyball team in its Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference opener as the Muskies dropped a four-set match to Aurora University Friday night at the Moose & Dona Woltzen Gymnasium.

The Muskies were competitive through two sets but fell off after that and were defeated 25-23, 20-25, 25-13, 25-20 by the Spartans. Lakeland lost in its second home match of the season and its first at home since defeating Cardinal Stritch University in four sets back on Jan. 23.

The Muskies (3-3 overall) led most of the first two sets but only received a payoff in the second set after letting a three-point lead slip away late in the opening set. Lakeland in particular never trailed in the first set until Aurora took the lead at 24-23 and finished the set one point later after a Muskies attack error.

The third set was close at the halfway point, but Aurora (1-5 overall, 1-0 NACC) dominated the rest of the way and closed the set on a 14-2 run to win going away. That performance lingered into the fourth set for the Muskies, who fell behind 5-1 early before quickly rallying to tie at 7-7.

From there, though, Lakeland could never get ahead, even after rallying back from a three-point deficit to tie again at 14-14. Aurora went on an 8-2 run late in the set and finally closed it out on a kill by Brandon Langys, who finished with a match-high 18 kills.

Lakeland hit .056 as a team with 30 kills and 23 errors in 125 attacks. Nathan Vanderwaal (Jr.-Rockford, Ill.) led with 10 kills and also added a team-high four blocks (two solo, two assisted), while Desmond Williams (Sr.-Riverside, Calif.) added seven kills and two block assists.

J.T. Levitt (Sr.-Schaumburg, Ill.) finished with 14 digs and Addison Mertler (Sr.-Boca Raton, Fla.) paced the team with 13 assists.

Jack Fischer recorded a match-high 19 digs for Aurora while Justin Yost added seven kills plus 32 assists. Aurora hit .126 for the match with 47 kills and 29 errors in 143 attacks.

The Muskies are in action again Saturday when they host a triangular, beginning with a NACC matchup against Concordia University Chicago at 11 a.m. Concordia will then take on Loras (Iowa) College at 1 p.m., and the Muskies will then take on Loras at 3 p.m.