The Muskies and Sabres meet for the second time this season and second time in less than a month, after Marian posted a straight sets victory Feb. 23 in Fond du Lac. The Sabres also won the lone matchup last season at home, sweeping Lakeland 25-12, 25-19, 25-15 Feb. 18, 2021. The Muskies' last win in the series was just over two years ago with a four-set victory at the Moose & Dona Woltzen Gymnasium March 11, 2020 in a match that will be forever remembered as both teams' final one that season, for two days later the emergence of the COVID-19 virus resulted in the cancellation of all Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference schools' seasons. The teams have been meeting regularly since Marian's first varsity season in 2016. Lakeland won the first four matchups, including a four-set victory in the first meeting Feb. 17, 2016, before the Sabres scored their first win in five sets Feb. 9, 2018.

Lakeland last time out: Won at Edgewood 3-2 Saturday
The Muskies came back from a two-set deficit to defeat the Eagles on the road, posting an exciting 18-25, 19-25, 26-24, 25-21, 15-12 victory. Lakeland fought off three match points to pull out the third set and gained speed from there to pull out its third straight win overall and in the NACC. Matt Misheck tied a career high with 18 kills, Ben Busalacchi added 11 kills, freshman Levi Everts notched a season-best eight kills and Cam Ekum led the team with 32 assists, 12 digs and four service aces and also added seven kills. Tim Matijevic also paced the team with five block assists. The rally from a 2-0 deficit was just the second in Lakeland's nine-year varsity program history and first since battling back from two down to top Marian in five Feb. 9, 2018.

Marian last time out: Defeated MSOE 3-0 last Wednesday
The Sabres have been idle for a week since their most recent match, an impressive 25-14, 25-19, 29-27 sweep to hand the Raiders their first NACC loss. Marian hit .247 as a team and also registered ten team blocks in the win, with Derek Wills leading with 10 kills and Liam Skinner posting seven blocks (one solo, six assisted).

The Sabres are having the best season in the program's seven-year history, with their 19 wins already six more than their previous best in a season. Marian got off to an 8-0 start and has continued to excel, with 13 of its wins by sweep and all 19 victories coming in three or four sets. The Sabres are one of the top blocking teams in NCAA Division III, ranking 9th nationally averaging 2.22 blocks per set led by Skinner, who is 9th individually in D-III at 1.06 blocks/set. Derek Wills-the younger brother of third-year head coach Tyler Wills-also is averaging 3.52 kills per set, 2nd-best in the NACC and 29th nationally in D-III.

Recapping the first meeting: The Sabres were in charge the first two sets and pulled out a close third set in the 25-18, 25-16, 28-26 sweep in Fond du Lac. Skinner finished with seven kills as Marian hit .185 as a team, but the Muskies posted a .000 hitting percentage with 23 kills but also 23 errors. Colin Kenney led Lakeland with eight kills and Ekum added 16 assists and 10 digs, but the Sabres gradually pulled away in the first two sets and then fought off a Muskies set point in the third to clinch the match.

Record watch: Lakeland's Cam Ekum enters the match with 38 service aces this season. He needs two aces to tie and three aces to break the Muskies' varsity single-season record for aces, set by Tyler Boyce with 40 back in the program's first varsity season. Ekum continues to lead the NACC in aces and ranks fourth nationally in Division III with his average of .93 aces/set, and he is almost a cinch to also break Boyle's school single-season record for aces in a set of .44 set in 2014.