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Box Score

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. (Feb. 2, 2018) – The North Central College men's volleyball team reaped the benefits of resilience and teamwork in a 3-2 victory over a competitive California Lutheran University (4-3) squad on Friday night.

The first set began with both teams going point for point with kills from Kevin Messer and Justin Curtis. A string of errors from both teams kept the set close at 6-6 before the Kingsmen scored two consecutive points to take the lead, but kills from Jacob Zemba and Nick Lilley off the hands of Raymond Kraus and a service ace from Michael Trunzo would tie it back up at 9-9. Both teams continued to battle, keeping the set within less than two points until a kill from Mike Campbell gave the Kingsmen a 15-12 lead, but North Central would answer back as Jake Braceros went up for the kill. It was not until the end of the set that the Kingsmen would gain enough momentum to break away from the Cardinals, capitalizing on efficient offense and Cardinal errors, and ultimately take the first set, 25-20.

Carrying the momentum from the first set, Cal Lutheran jumped out to an early 3-0 lead, only to find the second set quickly tied 3-3 after North Central went on a three-point run to match its opponent with a kill from Curtis and two Kingsmen errors. Cal Lutheran would take the lead once more after two errors from Zemba, but North Central was determined to not let the set get away from them early and a timely block from Curtis tied the score, 11-11. Neither team was going to let the other get the chance to lead until two kills from Braceros put North Central ahead 23-21. Despite a kill from Deitrich, the Kingsmen would not be able to regain control and the Cardinals would take the second set 25-22 off of a kill from Crawford and Kingsmen error.

In the same fashion as the first two sets, the third set began as a battle for both teams, going point for point for the first half of the set. North Central mustered a two point lead following two kills from Lilley to put the Cardinals ahead, 7-5, but would give up two points in errors to tie it back up. It was shaping up to be a long set as both teams put their strong offenses on display but fell victims to numerous errors. North Central had the opportunity to end the set after taking a 24-23 lead, but a kill from Dietrich would tie it at 24-24 and force extra points and a Cardinal time-out. Returning from the break, Lilley gave North Central a chance to end it with a kill to make the score 25-24, but the Kingsmen's defense was ready, blocking two attempts from Zemba and Braceros to take the third set, 27-25.

Cal Lutheran took the early lead in the fourth set, off of a service error from Braceros, but Curtis would answer with a kill to tie it 1-1. Kills from Dietrich and Mason Mercer would put the Kingsmen ahead 3-1, but Bozhidar Kolev came up with the kill from Trunzo to keep Cal Lutheran in check. Both teams went point for point until a kill from Curtis and Kingsmen error gave North Central an 8-6 lead. The Cardinals' lead did not last long as a kill from Grant Nelson and error from Kolev tied the score 8-8. It appeared neither team could gain any momentum as the score remained tied through 18-18, but North Central broke the pattern, pulling ahead 21-18 after a kill from Kolev and two setting errors from Cal Lutheran. Although the Kingsmen would come close, cutting the Cardinals' lead to 22-20, North Central held on, thanks to a kill from Lilley and block from Crawford and Kraus to take the fourth set, 25-20.

It was clear both teams were ready for a fifth set and were not going down without a fight. The Kingsmen came out strong and North Central quickly found itself at a 1-4 deficit. Sensing their team needed some energy, Trunzo set up Crawford for two kills to cut the score 4-6, but kills from Andrew Reina and Cardinal errors would give Cal Lutheran the 11-6 lead. North Central took its first timeout of the set, but was not ready to give up, calling upon Lilley and Anthony Kluzak for some big offensive plays and a crucial service ace to tie the set 12-12. With the end in sight, the Cardinals turned up the heat with kills from Kolev, Crawford, and Trunzo to put North Central in match-point position. Knowing he could end it here, Kolev stepped up for the serve and ended the match in heroic fashion with a perfectly placed ace, crediting North Central with the fifth set, 16-14, and the team's third win of the season.

Lilley led all players with 19 kills and one service ace while Crawford led the defense with three block assists. North Central hit a match-high .409 in the first set and hit above .200 in the following four sets.

The Cardinals (3-3) will take on fourth-ranked University of California-Santa Cruz at 11 a.m (PT) for the second time this season before playing Brooklyn College at 2 p.m (PT).