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Box Score vs. Messiah
Box Score vs. Stevens

UNION, N.J (Jan. 26, 2019) – The North Central College men's volleyball team concluded a competitive weekend at the Clash at Kean on Saturday, opening the second day of play with a swift three-set sweep against the Messiah College Falcons (1-2) before falling in as many sets to the No. 2 Stevens Institute of Technology Ducks in the second match. 

The Cardinals set the tone for the match early in the first set, jumping out to a 10-5 lead off of kills from Jason Eslinger and Bozhidar Kolev and aces from Michael Trunzo and Anthony Kluzak. The Falcons struggled to regain control of the first set, especially after a five-point run for North Central that extended the lead 20-11. With help from Eslinger on offense and strong serving from Kevin Braceros, Kluzak, and Trunzo, the Cardinals won the first set easily, 25-17.

Three kills from Eslinger sparked the Cardinals to take a 6-1 lead in the second set, but the Falcons battled back to come within one and force North Central to take a time-out. Coming out of the break, it was Eslinger again with a kill that led to an error by Messiah and a kill from Casey Hiller to pull away, 11-7. Messiah continued to chip away at the Cardinals' lead, coming as close as 20-22 late in the set, but Kluzak came up with a kill and huge block, setting Kolev up to serve an ace and win the set, 25-20.

North Central displayed its strengths in the third set with kills from Kolev, Eslinger, and another ace for Trunzo to lead 7-2 and foreshadow what would become a quick rout of the Falcons. Back-to-back kills from Gage Mize following a 20-8 lead helped set up North Central for match point and a service ace from Nicho Calles ended the match as the Cardinals won the third set, 25-10.

Eslinger led all players with 14 kills, just one shy of tying the Cardinals' single-match record, and led the team with three blocks. Kolev added seven kills while Kluzak contributed five. Trunzo had a team-high four service aces and helped on 19 assists.

In the second match of the day, North Central held steady with the No. 2 Ducks early in the first set, notching one-point leads off kills from Messer and Kolev, leading 8-7. Stevens responded with five-straight points to lead 12-8 and went on another run later in the set to extend the lead 19-14. Unfortunately, kills from Kluzak and Nick Lilley late in the set were not enough to bounce back and the Cardinals dropped the first set, 25-18.

Kolev started North Central's scoring in the second set with the help from Trunzo and a kill from Zemba with a block from Lilley and Hiller put North Central ahead 4-2. Stevens went on a four point run to take back the lead, but another kill from Kolev helped the Cardinals stay in it, 8-7. The Ducks took a 13-10 lead after a strong offensive series and followed it up with a 21-14 that the Cardinals could not recover from, despite efforts from Mize, Justin Curtis, and Kolev. Stevens took a 2-0 set lead after winning the second set, 25-20.

The Cardinals struggled early in the third set, trailing 8-4 and forced to take its first timeout, but bounced back with kills from Lilley and Eslinger to cut the score by two. North Central diligently chipped away at the Ducks' lead, pulling within four off of a kill from Zemba in the final points of the match, but Stevens came up with the match-winning block from Cooper Diamond and Jacb Patterson to take the third set, 25-19.

Kolev paced the Cardinals with seven kills while Zemba and Eslinger each had five. Kolev also led the team defensively with three blocks.

North Central (6-4) travels down the road to Benedictine University, also ranked No. 10 in the latest American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) poll, on Wednesday, Jan. 30. Match time is set for 7 p.m and a link for live in-match coverage can be found HERE.