PLYMOUTH, Wis. – The Lakeland University men's volleyball team split two matches for the second straight day, this time both coming against the same opponent in Olivet (Mich.) College Sunday afternoon at the Moose & Dona Woltzen Gymnasium.

The Muskies narrowly won three close sets in the first match of the doubleheader, prevailing 25-22, 25-23, 25-22. The teams then went to five sets in the second match with the Comets pulling out a 19-25, 25-18, 25-14, 18-25, 15-10 win. Lakeland finished a busy four-day stretch that included five matches with its record at 3-4 on the season.

Lakeland and Olivet combined for 24 ties and 14 lead changes in the first match, but the Muskies held a slim lead in the stretch run of the opening set and then made the plays late in the second and third sets.

The teams were tied at 23-23 in the second set, but Hunter Henson (Fr.-Menomonee Falls, Wis.) delivered a kill and Colin Kenney (Jr.-Shorewood, Wis.) closed the set with a service ace. The squads were then tied at 21-21 in the third set, but Henson and Ben Busalacchi (Jr.-Muskego, Wis.) posted back-to-back kills to give the Muskies an advantage, and Kenney closed it out with another service ace, his third of the match.

The second match actually featured less drama in most sets with the teams combining for 15 ties and nine lead changes, including Lakeland never trailing in the first set and Olivet (2-2 overall) controlling the second and third sets. The Muskies rallied from 13-12 down midway through the fourth set to push the match to a deciding fifth set.

The final set included several big swings, with the Comets jumping out to a 4-0 lead before Lakeland scored seven of the next eight points to go ahead 7-5, including two more aces by Kenney. Olivet would answer with five straight points, though, and then at 11-9 scored three more points to get to match point. Busalacchi delivered a kill to fight off the first match point, but a Muskies serve into the net ended it.

Busalacchi finished with team highs of nine kills and 10 digs in the first match, with Kenney adding eight kills and seven digs. Chase Anderson (Fr.-Hartford, Wis.) also added 15 assists and Drew Green (Sr.-Seoul, South Korea) added seven digs.

Henson posted a season-high 16 kills to lead Lakeland in the second match, hitting .379 with just five errors in 29 attacks. Busalacchi added 11 kills and 12 digs and Anderson finished with 31 assists and seven digs. Tim Matijevic (Jr.-Palatine, Ill.) also totaled seven blocks on the day, including four in the second match.

The split on Sunday came after Lakeland also split two matches Saturday in a triangular in La Crosse, Wis. The Muskies defeated Morningside (Iowa) University 27-25, 25-23, 14-25, 25-20 in the opener before falling to host school Viterbo University 25-23, 17-25, 18-25, 22-25. Busalacchi tied a career high with 21 kills in the second match.

Lakeland returns to the court Friday to host Augustana (Ill.) College at 6 p.m.