DUBUQUE, Iowa (Duhawks.com) - The Loras men's volleyball team (6-7, 4-6 MCVL) ended a two-game skid with a 3-1 win over Fontbonne on Friday (25-21, 25-22, 23-25, 28-26). Sophomores Greg Kinney and Aaron Miller both finished with double-digit kills, with Kinney hitting .500 and Miller hitting .409.

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Set One

• Loras had its foot on the gas pedal early in the first set, using a 4-0 run to force a Griffin timeout, leading 11-6.
• A service ace from sophomore Leo Peters ballooned the Duhawk lead to 19-9, capping a 5-0 run.
• The Griffins made a late push to chip away at this deficit, but Loras finished off the set one victory with a kill from junior Dylan Ross, 25-21. 
• Miller racked up five assists, four kills, two digs and two total blocks in the first frame to lead the Duhawks.

Set Two

• Loras' momentum carried over to begin the second frame, opening a 9-3 advantage following a kill from Kinney.
• Fontbonne responded once again to the Duhawk lead, kicking off an 8-1 run to tie the set at 19-all.
• Loras flipped the momentum with a run of four points of their own, including a pair of kills from Ross to take the lead at 23-19.
• The Duhawks saw this margin through to the finish, using a service ace from junior Blair Anderson to finish set two, 25-22. 

Set Three

• An early 7-3 lead for the Griffins shifted the tide in the match to begin the third frame.
• Sophomore Alfredo Lopez put the exclamation point on a 10-5 run with a big kill, tying the set 
• at 19-all, prompting a Fontbonne timeout.
• After the break in action, the Griffins regained their form from early in set and used a 6-3 run to stave off defeat, 25-23.

Set Four

• Leading 11-10, Fontbonne used three consecutive tallies to open the first significant margin of the frame at 14-10.
• The Duhawks quickly regrouped, producing a four-point run of their own to tie the score at 14-all on a kill from sophomore Austin Kuchenbecker. 
• Both sides traded points to the sets completion, but Loras finished off its fifth opportunity at match point, winning 28-26, and the match, 3-1. 

NOTABLES

• Kinney had a career-high .500 attack percentage in the match
• The Duhawks have already equaled the program record for conference wins this season (4)
• Loras improves to 5-7 overall and 4-6 in the MCVL, moving into a tie with the Griffins for fifth-place

FRIEDMAN GROUP PLAYER OF THE GAME
Greg Kinney | The sophomore from Las Vegas, Nev. recorded 14 kills, two service aces, eight digs and a career-high .500 attack percentage.

SOUNDBITES | Aaron Miller, Greg Kinney, Austin Kuchenbecker and Head Coach Jeremy Thornburg

UP NEXT
The Duhawks return to action the weekend of March 3 and 4 with matches against MSOE, No. 8 Carthage and No. 10 Rivier.