RIVER FOREST, Ill. – Dominican University asserted control as the match went on and the Lakeland University men's volleyball team finished its season with a three-set loss Saturday afternoon at the Igini Sports Forum.

The Stars won by a 25-19, 25-17, 25-13 count to clinch a fourth-place finish in the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference standings. The Muskies saw a frustrating conference season close with losses in 11 of their last 12 matches, finishing 7-17 overall and 1-11 in the NACC.

Dominican (13-10 overall, 9-3 NACC) hit .380 in the match with 36 kills and nine errors, a rate Lakeland was unable to keep up with. The Muskies hit .029 with 21 kills and 19 errors, and the Stars also posted advantages in service aces (a 7-1 margin) and blocks (7-3) as well.

As it often did, Lakeland got off to a good start and led 12-9 in the first set after a kill by Eli Weinrich (Jr.-Mequon, Wis.). Dominican answered with the next five points and in all went on a 9-2 run on its way to taking the opening set.

The Muskies also challenged in the second set, coming back from down 13-9 to score four straight points and tie the set, with a block by Ben Busalacchi (Sr.-Muskego, Wis.) and Jordan Davis-Troller (Jr.-Cottage Grove, Wis.) knotting the score at 13-13. The Stars answered with another run scoring four the next five points and 12 of the final 16 in the set.

Busalacchi led Lakeland with seven kills and finished his career with a school varsity record 1,061 kills, as well as a program record 143 service aces. Chase Anderson (Jr.-Hartford, Wis.) added team highs 16 assists and seven digs and Davis-Troller posted two block assists.

The match was the final one in the careers of four Muskies seniors: Busalacchi, Levi Everts (Hartford, Wis.), Colin Kenney (Shorewood, Wis.) and Drake Schleihs (Appleton, Wis.).