Contact: Nathan Cameron, Assistant Director of Athletic Communications, 563-588-7243

Mar. 1, 2022 - Flying high on a six-game winning streak, the No. 15/13 Loras College men's volleyball team (15-1, 4-0 CCIW) received its second top-15 ranking by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) on Tuesday after winning all four matches last week in straight sets. 

The Duhawks' week kicked off in Rock Island, Ill. as they took on the Augustana College Vikings in a College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) matchup. In the three set sweep, the Duhawks hit .217 percent while holding Augustana to .080 percent, led offensively by Dorian Fiorenza who floored 10 kills in the match while Patrick Mahoney locked down the defensive side of the net with three blocks. 

The second win of the week came on Friday with the Duhawks returning home for their first match on Lillis Court in nearly three weeks, taking on the Rockford University Regents. The Duhawks held the Regents to scores in the teens in their second straight set win of the week, tallying a .341 hitting percentage, led by Jake Filotto and Michael Dziewior who floored 10 each in the match. 

Saturday featured a twin bill of volleyball at the Lillis Athletic and Wellness Center as the Duhawks faced the Millikin University Big Blue and the University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy Eutectics. In the first match of the day, the Duhawks rolled over the Big Blue, holding them to no more than 13 points in a set while hitting a solid .673 percent. Mahoney again led the Duhawks' defensive efforts with five blocks in the match while Zach Heinstein had a team-leading six kills. The Duhawks' fourth win of the week came in another sweep over the Eutectics, led by Mahoney and Tucker Ziegenhorn who each had nine kills in the match while Mahoney also added a trio of blocks on defense. 

Mahoney's dominance on the week earned him his first CCIW Player of the Week accolades as well as being named to the frogjumpvolleyball.com Team of the Week, posting 25 kills and five aces on the week, hitting a staggering .796 percent and adding 13 blocks on defense. 

The Duhawks are back in action as they travel to Naperville, Ill. to take on the No. 4 North Central College Cardinals in a conference heavyweight tilt. The match is slated for a 3:00 PM start.