The Muskies and Eagles are no strangers in most sports but tonight are meeting for the first time ever in men's volleyball, as this is Edgewood's debut season and just its third match. Lakeland has faced plenty of first-year programs in its first seven years as a varsity program as the sport continues to grow at the NCAA Division III level. The Muskies' most recent match against a first-year team came last year, when they defeated St. Norbert in four sets on March 3. Lakeland also was set to host Illinois Wesleyan's program debut on Jan. 31 this year but a snowstorm forced the postponement of the match.

Lakeland last time out: Lost at Marian 3-0 last Thursday

The Sabres recorded their first-ever sweep of the Muskies, who went down in mostly quiet fashion in a 25-12, 25-19, 25-15 loss in their Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference opener. Lakeland finished with a negative hitting percentage with 22 kills and 24 errors and only led twice in the match, once each briefly early in the second and third sets. Freshman Ben Busalacchi provided a highlight with nine kills plus two service aces, and Cameron Ekum added 12 assists plus eight digs. The match was the Muskies' first in over two weeks, coming 16 days after they opened their season with a three-set loss at home to nationally-ranked Carthage.

Edgewood last time out: Lost at Trinity Christian (Ill.) 3-0 Feb. 8

The Eagles last played 15 days ago, when they went down quickly to the NAIA member Trolls, falling by a 25-8, 25-13, 25-10 score in Palos Heights, Ill. Trinity Christian was nearly flawless on the attack with 32 kills and just three errors for a .537 hitting percentage, while Edgewood hit -.167 as a team with 14 kills and 24 errors. Ethan Moll Hind led the Eagles with five kills, Dylan Griffith totaled six digs and Keegan Talbott finished with 11 assists. Edgewood was supposed to play its NACC opener this past Thursday but a match with MSOE was postponed.

About the Eagles: Edgewood has faced three tough opponents to open its inaugural season, having also lost to NAIA Cardinal Stritch as well as Loras (Iowa), an established NCAA Division III program. The Eagles are led by head coach Jeff (J.T.) Thomas, the former head women's volleyball coach at Madison Area Technical College and a former assistant with the Edgewood women's volleyball program. He is a graduate of UW-Oshkosh and played against Lakeland when both were fierce rivals as club programs in the late 2000s.

Milestones on horizon: A couple Lakeland veterans have career milestones within reach within the next few weeks. Cameron Ekum enters tonight's match with 1,426 assists, putting him 74 assists from becoming the third in the Muskies' varsity men's volleyball history to reach 1,500 for a career. Matt Misheck also enters the match needing 35 kills to become the eighth Lakeland varsity men's volleyball player to reach 500 kills for a career. Ekum currently ranks third on the Muskies' career assists list and Misheck is eighth in the program's varsity history, with Ekum right behind him in ninth with 276 career kills.