RIVER FOREST, Ill. – The Lakeland University men's volleyball team was just points away from completing a three-set sweep but Concordia University Chicago came all the way back to win in five sets Saturday afternoon at CUC's Geiseman Gymnasium.

The Cougars rallied for a 24-26, 15-25, 26-24, 25-23, 16-14 victory, continuing the Muskies' struggles in five-set matches this year. Lakeland went five sets for the fifth time in 11 matches but is 1-4 in those matches and 3-8 overall on the season. The Muskies also missed a chance to get off to a good start to their Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference schedule, dropping their league opener.

Lakeland won the first two sets, including a close first set, and with a 21-18 lead in the third set was just four points from closing out the match. Concordia Chicago (6-7 overall, 1-1 NACC) came back with four straight points, but the Muskies responded with two straight for a 23-22 lead.

The Cougars scored the next two points to get to set point first, and finished it out three points later with a kill from Jackson Stella to send the match to a fourth set. Lakeland would then lead much of the fourth set again, and again was four points from finishing it out at 21-17 when CUC rallied, including four straight points to finish the set after the Muskies led 23-21.

Lakeland again held a lead late in the fifth set, ahead 10-7 after a service ace by Chase Anderson (So.-Hartford, Wis.), and the Muskies were three points away from the win with a 12-10 lead after a Cougars service error. Concordia again rallied with a run, scoring four straight to get to match point, but Jakob Donohue (So.-Milwaukee, Wis.) and Ben Busalacchi (Sr.-Muskego, Wis.) both delivered kills to tie it back up at 14-14. Lakeland committed a service error, though, and Stella finished the match with a service ace to complete the Cougars comeback.

The Muskies finished hitting .170 for the match with 56 kills and 29 errors, but the attack percentages dropped after the first two sets. Lakeland hit .353 over the first two sets with 30 kills and just six errors but hit just .033 over the final three sets.

Busalacchi finished with 23 kills, his sixth match this season with at least 20 kills. Levi Everts (Jr.-Hartford, Wis.) also added 11 kills, and both Busalacchi and Everts added 11 digs each.

Eli Weinrich (So.-Mequon, Wis.) paced the back row defense with 19 digs and Anderson added 47 assists and 14 digs. Colin Kenney (Sr.-Shorewood, Wis.) finished with eight kills and three service aces and Donohue also added with six kills and six blocks.

Stella paced Concordia with 20 kills, one of three Cougars with at least 11 kills. CUC hit .172 for the match with 53 kills and 26 errors.

Lakeland is on the road to the Chicago area again for its next match Tuesday when it travels to face Illinois Institute of Technology at 6 p.m. in Chicago.