Box Score 1 | Box Score 3 The Lakeland University men's volleyball team picked up its biggest win of the season, coming back from a two-set deficit to defeat nationally ranked Southern Virginia University in five sets Saturday night at the Moose & Dona Woltzen Gymnasium.

The Muskies closed out their second home triangular by defeating a ranked team for the first time this season. Lakeland lost the first two sets to the Knights, the seventh-ranked team in the AVCA/NCAA Division III Top 15 Coaches Poll, but came all the way back for a 19-25, 22-25, 25-21, 25-23, 16-14 victory.

Dakota Hunter (Sr.-Waukesha, Wis.) finished with 12 kills and was one of four in double figures in kills as the Muskies gained a split of their two matches on the day after falling to Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference foe Dominican University in four sets in the opener. Lakeland (9-11 overall) is just the second team this year to defeat Southern Virginia, which dropped to 17-2 overall.

The Muskies hit nearly .100 below the Knights' hitting percentage for the match, with their .167 attack percentage (48 kills, 23 errors) well below SVU's .266 mark (62 kills, 25 errors). Southern Virginia committed 19 of its 25 hitting errors over the final three sets, though, and Lakeland also had a decisive advantage on serve. The Muskies posted an 8-5 advantage in aces and the Knights also committed 22 service errors.

Matt Misheck (So.-Oak Forest, Ill.) also finished with 11 kills and both Desmond Williams (Sr.-Riverside, Calif.) and Nathan Vanderwaal (Jr.-Rockford, Ill.) added 10 kills each. Cameron Ekum (So.-Mukwonago, Wis.) posted 26 assists, seven digs and two aces and J.T. Levitt (Sr.-Schaumburg, Ill.) finished with 10 digs.

Lakeland split the first two sets of its opener against Dominican before the Stars won the final two sets for a 25-23, 22-25, 25-21, 25-14 victory.

Hunter and Misheck both totaled 11 kills but the Stars-ranked 15th in the latest Division III coaches poll-hit .292 as a team with 50 kills and 19 errors and also added 11 team blocks.

The middle match of the triangular between the two nationally ranked teams saw Southern Virginia sweep Dominican in four sets. The Knights were impressive, hitting .311 in the match in a 25-17, 25-22, 22-25, 25-21 victory.

The Muskies are next in action on Friday when they travel to face Aurora University at 7 p.m. in NACC play.

Box score #15 Domin 3 Lakeland 1
Box score #7 SVU 3 #15 Domin 1
Box score Lakeland 3 #7 SVU 2