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Box Score

NAPERVILLE, ILL. (Feb. 5, 2020) - Seeking their first win streak of the 2020 season heading into their match against Benedictine University on Wednesday, the North Central College men's volleyball team squandered a first-set victory and eventually dropped the contest 3-1.

The Cardinals got off to a strong start against the Eagles (4-4), coming out on top of a competitive first set 25-19. The Cardinals were sparked by a 7-2 midway through the set, with three of those seven points coming from service aces by Kevin Braceros (two) and Jared Moser (one). Moser and Jason Eslinger led the way for the Cardinal's first-set victory, each recording five kills. The Cardinals hit a match-high 0.520 for the set, continuing where they left off from a red-hot victory on Saturday against Illinois Institute of Technology.

The second set saw North Central go cold, as their hitting percentage dropped to 0.176 for the set but kept in the set until the very end. Benedictine was able to scrounge a 25-21 victory to pull the match even at one a piece.

Now with the momentum, the Eagles grabbed hold of the contest in the third set, hitting an even better 0.452 in the frame while the Cardinals stayed cold and hit 0.143. The Cardinals tried to steal back momentum and make a late comeback, going on a 5-1 run, but the damage was already done as the Eagles took the contest on a kill from Nick Malak.

A set of runs determined the fourth set, as the two teams went back and forth with the lead until the Eagle came out on top 25-22 to decide the match in their favor.

Moser and Eslinger were the main attackers for the Cardinals, with Moser recording 15 kills while his teammate had 13 for second on the team. Michael Trunzo had 41 assists to pace the Cardinals, also recording five digs on the evening. Justin Curtis and Ben Williams were the driving forces on defense, with Williams blocking five attacks and Curtis blocking four.

John Davis recorded 22 kills for the Eagles, with Joe Lock recording 44 assists in the game. Kyle Vasquez and Nick Malak were the top two receivers for Benedictine with 12 and 10 digs, respectively.

The Cardinals at home again on Saturday, Feb. 8 at 1:30 pm, hosting Marian University. Click HERE for live stats and HERE for live video of the contest.