DEERFIELD, Ill. (Duhawks.com) - For the first time in their inaugural season, the Loras Men's Volleyball team can celebrate. After starting their season on an eight-game losing streak, the Duhawks recorded back-to-back wins against Trinity International and Calumet College of Saint Joseph. Freshman Jimmy Combs combined to hit .800, registering 16 kills on 20 attacks.

Loras opened set one against Trinity International on a 10-5 run and never looked back. Six of their first 10 points came by their offensive ability, with Combs registering two kills and an ace.

The momentum remained with the purple and gold as they stretched their lead to as many as 10 late in set one and went on to win 25-12. Their set one victory closed on a 15-7 run.

The Duhawks picked up right where they left off in set two, opening on a 5-1 run. Trinity International closed the gap to one at 11-10 as David Swanson's attack began to heat up. After recording two kills in the middle of the match, Swanson's luck ran out thanks in part to the blocking defense of the Duhawks.

With Loras leading 17-15, freshman Dawid Kasprzak's kill sparked a four-point run which was highlighted by a kill and assisted block by freshman Shayne Marquez.

Trailing by six, the Trojans attempted to scrape together a comeback, but were unable to slow down the Duhawks' attack, falling 25-20.

Trinity carried their momentum into the third set, charging ahead to a 13-4 lead behind the lead of David Priest.

Pulling together, the Duhawks began chipping away at the deficit after a kill freshman Chris Ortiz turned the tide. Ortiz's crushing hit, sparked a 5-0 Loras run and forced Trinity to take a timeout.

Trailing by just four after the timeout, the Duhawks fought back within one, 22-21 late. As Loras attempted to complete the comeback, a 3-1 run by the Trojans closed the book on set three. The 25-22 defeat forced a fourth set with the Duhawks in front 2-1 for the match.

Determined to come away with their first win in program history, the Duhawks took control of the fourth set from the start.

A five point lead quickly grew to double digits as the Duhawks boasted a match-best .462 kill percentage while holding the Trojans to a measly .056 kill percentage for the set.

After a kill by Combs pushed the set to match point, 24-15, Marquez's serve forced an out of system attack by the Trojans. Seeing the play develop, Combs read the set, getting in position for the block. Perfectly timing his jump, Combs denied the Trojans attack, sealing the historic win for the Duhawks.

Without skipping a beat, the Duhawks rolled into match number two of the day, jumping on Calumet College of St. Jospeph from the first serve.

Plowing out to a 6-0 lead, the Duhawks never looked back. A plethora of kills were followed by back-to-back aces by freshman Danny Krasich, extending Loras' lead to 14-2.

Trading points for the next couple points, Combs nailed a set from Marquez for a kill. Feeding off the energy of Combs' kill, freshman TJ Esporas followed suit with back-to-back kills of his own.

With momentum mounting for the Duhawks, senior Michael Kreiser sent two stifling serves over the net for back-to-back aces.

Leading 23-7, Loras closed out the set 25-9 after a pair of serving errors by the Crimson Wave.

Early miscues on the part of the Duhawks left the match level at five before Krasich set Combs for a kill, silencing the Crimson Wave.

With freshman Kyle Zacok serving, Combs and company took control of the set. Imposing their will at the net, the Duhawks forced the Crimson Wave into half a dozen errors, while using a balanced attack to 22-12.

Another pair of aces by Kreiser pushed the score to set point, before Krasich set Ortiz in the middle. Ortiz found a hole in the Crimson Wave defense, sending Krasich's set to the open floor, giving the Duhawks the 25-14 win and 2-0 edge in the match.

Hungry to repeat the success of their first match, the Duhawks eyed a sweep of Calumet College of St. Joseph heading into the third set.

The Crimson Wave came out firing, attempting to spoil Loras' plan, taking an 8-4 lead after a ball handling error by the Duhawks.

Unwilling to play a fourth set, the Duhawks bounced back, rattling off three straight points, cutting the deficit to one.

Moving their lead to two on a Loras attacking error, the Crimson Wave sent a serve right into the net, bringing up Kasprzak up for the serve. Without hesitation, Kasprzak went to work, using an ace to kick start a 5-0 run by the Duhawks.

Turning a two-point deficit into a three-point lead, the Duhawks forced the Crimson Wave to call another timeout.

The break left Kasprzak and his teammates unfazed as they doubled their lead out of the timeout.

Holding off a late comeback push by the Crimson Wave, the Duhawks never let up, taking the set 25-19. The set win completed the sweep of Calumet College of St. Joseph, leaving the Duhawks with an unblemished record at the Trinity International University Triangular.

Game Changer
The Duhawks energy in the opening set of each match laid the foundation for success as they were able to gain an early lead and build upon it.

Key Stat
Freshman middle Jimmy Combs hit .800 on the day, tallying 16 kills on 20 attempts. Combs has recorded three consecutive games hitting above the .450 mark

Notables

Quotable
Freshman middle Jimmy Combs
"Both teams struggled blocking out of the middle. I didn't really make errors so I was able to hit the ball in and I got good sets. It was a total team effort."

"It feels really good. We didn't play our best in the first match but the last match went a little better. Getting a win feels great."

Up Next
The Duhawks travel to Sheboygan, Wisconsin where they will take part in a triangular against Lakeland College and No. 1 Stevens on Sunday. Loras opens the day at 11 a.m. with a match against Lakeland before tackling No. 1 Stevens at 1 p.m.