DUBUQUE, Iowa (Duhawks.com) - The Loras College Men's Volleyball team travels to Lisle, Illinois for a midweek MCVL bout with Benedictine before welcoming Fontbonne and Mount St. Joseph this weekend.
DUHAWKS HOPE THIRD TIMES THE CHARM ...
Facing off against Benedictine for third time this season, the Duhawks eye their first win over the Eagles. Errors and miscues have proved costly for the Duhawks in the previous two matchups.
END OF ROADTRIP, BRINGS BEGINNING OF HOMESTAND ...
Wednesday's match will be the eighth of Loras' previous nine matches to be played on the road. Friday's match with Fontbonne kickstarts a three-game homestand for the Duhawks, in search of their first win in the Athletic & Wellness Center.
LORAS EYES SWEEP OF FONTBONNE ...
Two weeks prior to Friday's match with Fontbonne, the Duhawks notched their first conference win with a 3-0 sweep of the Griffins in St. Louis, Missouri. Eyeing their first win in front of a home crowd, Loras looks to complete the season sweep of Fontbonne.
BATTLING DUHAWKS FALL IN STRAIGHT SETS TO MSOE ...
A competitive match fueled by the strong play of each team's attack fel in favor of the Raiders. Loras hit .218 as a team, their third highest kill percentage of the season, but could not overcome the hot hitting Raiders (.330). A trio of freshman led the Duhawks in the loss. In the middle, freshman Jimmy Combs pounded a team-best 8 kills while hitting .636 for the match. Freshman libero Blair Anderson led the team with nine digs, while freshman Shayne Marquez recorded 19 assists.
DIVISION I IPFW TOO MUCH FOR THE DUHAWKS TO HANDLE ...
Returning to Fort Wayne, Indiana on the opposing side for the first time, head coach Jeremy Thornburg and the Duhawks fought the nationally-ranked Mastadons of IPFW. Thornburg's alma mater proved to be too balanced, and too much for the Duhawks to handle as they fell in straight sets. "A lot of these guys have three and half years of playing left," Thornburg said. "I think we can learn a lot from this experience going forward. By the time these freshmen are seniors, I hope this is something we all can look back and reflect on."
STIFFLING SERVES FROM SIX ...
Senior Michael Kreiser's stiffling serves have secured victories, capped long runs for the Duhawks, brought momentum back to his team, or killed the energy building for the opposition. With 19 aces on the season, Kreiser ranks fourth in the MCVL.
DUHAWKS IN DESPERATE NEED OF MORE DIGS ...
Recording less than 30 digs in their last three matches, the Duhawks will need more consistent play out of their back row. Facing off against lethal attacks in the final month of the season, the Duhawks ability to dig up the hard hits could make or break their matches down the stretch.
SEVEN MATCHES LEFT ON THE 2015 SLATE ...
Just seven matches are left on the Duhawks inaugural schedule, including three in week 10. Of the four matches following this week of play, one will be played in the Athletic & Wellness Center before the Duhawks close out the season with three MCVL matches on the road.
MINIMIZING ERRORS, CRITICAL DOWN STRETCH ...
Heading into the final stretch, the Duhawks ability to control the parts of the game in which they control - errors, mental miscues, will be critical. As the Duhawks continue to improve, errors have kept them from finding a rhythm.
SWEEP OF FONTBONNE GIVES DUHAWKS FIRST MCVL WIN ...
Making quick work of the Griffins, the Duhawks earned their third win of the season and first in MCVL play on Friday night in St. Louis, Mo. Freshman Shayne Marquez led the Duhawks with a double-double, recording a team-highs in assists (17) and digs (11). On the attack, senior Michael Kreiser tallied a team-best 10 kills, while freshman Jimmy Combs hit a match-high .438 on the evening.
DUHAWKS NOTCH PROGRAMS FIRST WINS ...
Loras took full advantage of the opportunities in Friday's matches with NAIA oppenents Trinity International and Calumet College of St. Joseph. The Duhawks jumped all over the Trojans, winning the first set 25-12. Loras used a season-best .339 kill percentage to oust the Trojans in four sets (3-1). After a short break, the Duhawks returned with energy and excitement against Calumet College of St. Joseph. Loras' energy and confidence was unmatched, fueling the Duhawks to the sweep of the Crimson Wave (3-0), to finish the Trinity International Triangular an unblemished 2-0.
COMBS NAMED CHAMPPION OF THE WEEK ...
Freshman middle Jimmy Combs earned Champpion of the Week honors for his play during the week of February 16-22. Fueling the Duhawks to their first two wins in program history, Combs hit a staggering .467 in five matches for the Duhawks. The Penfield, N.Y. native tallied 37 kills on 75 attacks while commiting just two errors. His play in the middle was highlighted by a near-perfect performance against Trinity International in which he tallied nine kills on 10 attacks without any errors. Combs added 16 blocks, six digs, six aces, and two assists to round out his stat line.
BUILDING A PROGRAM ...
While the Duhawks are still looking for their first win, standing at 0-8, the team is able to look at the big picture and what they have accomplished. The lure of being a part of history and starting a new program drew many of the team's players in and the selling point is still working for Coach Thornburg as he currently has seven future Duhawks committed for the 2016 season. 23rd intercollegiate athletic program.
