CINCINNATI (Duhawks.com) - Two days after achieving one of the many goals the Loras College Men's Volleyball team set for the inaugural 2015 season, the Duhawks took on No. 14 Mount St. Joseph with hopes of knocking off their first ranked opponent of the year. Dropping two tightly contested sets to open the match, the Duhawks won the third before falling to the Lions, 3-1 (25-20, 25-17, 22-25, 25-18) on Sunday.

Fueled by their energy, the Duhawks (3-11, 1-5) opened the match with an early lead. A block by freshmen David Kasprzak and Dylan Ross capped Loras' run, putting them in front 5-3.

Seeking offensive rhythm, the Duhawks' attack tried for their first kill of the match but, each ball missed the mark in one way or another. The lack of offensive firepower allowed the Lions to take an 11-6 lead, after a 8-1 run, bringing about a Loras timeout.

After regrouping, the Duhawks chipped away at the deficit but fell short of overcoming it, falling 25-20.

Benefitting from a serving error by Mount St. Joseph, Ross combined with freshman Jimmy Combs for a block before senior Michael Kreiser crushed the ball down for a kill. The back-to-back statement plays lifted the Duhawks to a 3-0 lead.

The teams traded points as momentum began to shift to the side of the Lions, leaving the score even at nine. 

Mount St. Joseph took control from that point, winning the set 25-17. 

Trailing in the beginning of set three, the Duhawks rallied back to a tie the set at six. A convincing solo block by freshman TJ Esporas was followed a energy lifting kill by the Las Vegas, Nevada product.

Esporas' electric plays propelled the Duhawks to a 9-6 edge midway through the set but the Lions roared back, turning a three point lead into a three point deficit. 

Capitalizing on miscues by the Lions, freshman Shayne Marquez set Ross for the pounding kill. The play proved timely, kick starting a 3-0 run, capped by a kill from freshman Kyle Zakock, putting Loras ahead 21-17 and forcing a Lions timeout.

Unwilling to go down, the Lions tried a combination of strategies to slow the Duhawks but Loras stood tall. 

Aggressive serves kept the Lions from settling in a groove and the Duhawks took full advantage. Leading 24-22, Kreiser threw down a set from freshman Danny Krasich, finishing the set 25-22, forcing a fourth set.

Despite winning the opening point of the fourth set, the Duhawks ran out of steam late. Trailing 19-15 and in dire need of a kill, Loras could not find an answer for the Lions' Alex Vohland, falling 25-18.

Game Changer
Playing to an even tie at three in the fourth set, the Lions scored three straight to take a 6-3 lead. The short run kept the Lions in front for the rest of the game as they went on to win the set 25-18.

Key Stat
Loras struggled to find consistency on attack, hitting .046 for the match … Mount St. Joseph hit .189 in comparison.

Notables

• Sunday was just the second time this season the Duhawks have recorded less than 30 digs in a match
• Loras recorded double-digit blocks (10.0) for the third time this season
• Senior Michael Kreiser recorded a team-high 10 kills, six digs, and two aces
• Freshman Blair Anderson led the team with seven digs
• Freshman Dylan Ross hit a team-best .364 while tallying a career-high five blocks

Quotable
Jeremy Thornburg, Head Coach

"We showed some good things in the third set, but committed too many errors to win the match. We played a tough team with veteran leadership and experience and could not get in a rhythm."

"We are going to try and learn some quick lessons from this match and regroup and refocus for another tough conference match against MSOE."

Up Next
A quick turnaround pins the Duhawks against, conference foe, MSOE on Tuesday. Loras hosts the Raiders in the Athletic & Wellness Center with the match set to start at 7 p.m.