CHICAGO – A little bit later start due to getting caught in traffic didn't hamper the Lakeland University men's volleyball team one bit as the Muskies earned a solid road sweep at North Park (Ill.) University Tuesday night.

Lakeland defeated the Vikings 27-25, 26-24, 25-21 to even its record at 3-3 this season. The Muskies earned their best win of the young campaign so far, taking down a North Park team that defeated a pair of Lakeland's Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference rivals for both of its wins coming in.

The Muskies were late in arriving for the non-conference match after getting caught in traffic on the way to Chicago. The start of the match was delayed half an hour to 7:30 p.m., but once underway Lakeland was clutch when it counted in all three sets.

The Muskies came back from an early 10-6 deficit to win a long first set that included 11 ties and four lead changes, and then took a second set that also went past 25 points and included six ties and two lead changes. Eli Weinrich (Jr.-Mequon, Wis.) delivered the kill to win the first set, and Jakob Donohue (Jr.-Milwaukee, Wis.) notched a kill and then a solo block to finish the second set.

Lakeland then used a big run in the third set to take control, scoring eight straight points to take an 18-9 lead. Weinrich and Sage Xiong (Fr.-Erie, Colo.) had two kills each in the run and Jordan Davis-Troller (Jr.-Cottage Grove, Wis.) added a kill and a block.

North Park (2-3 overall) was not done, though, returning the favor with a 12-3 run. The Vikings came all the way back to the first tie of the set at 21-21, but the Muskies answered with one more run to score the match's final four points. Xiong's kill gave Lakeland a lead, a setting error and a block by Donohue got the Muskies to match point, and Donohue and Xiong finished it combining for a block on match point to win it.

Weinrich finished with 10 kills and Xiong and Ben Busalacchi (Sr.-Muskego, Wis.) added eight kills each. Lakeland finished hitting .163 with 38 kills and 21 errors, well ahead of North Park's .087 mark with 30 kills and 21 errors.

Levi Everts (Sr.-Hartford, Wis.) notched 12 digs and Chase Anderson (Jr.-Hartford, Wis.) finished with 29 assists. Donohue also added four kills plus a team-high five blocks (two solo, three assisted).

Josiah Johnsamson led North Park with nine kills. The Vikings are now 2-2 against NACC teams this season, having defeated Concordia University Chicago and Concordia University Wisconsin while also falling to Dominican University.

Lakeland is on the road this weekend for a trip to lower Michigan. The Muskies begin by facing Calvin (Mich.) University Saturday at 6 p.m. Central time, 7 p.m. Eastern time in Michigan