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

Mar. 19, 2022 - The RV/No. 15 Loras College men's volleyball team (17-4, 6-2 CCIW) celebrated Senior Day inside the Lillis Athletic and Wellness Center on Saturday as they played host to the Vikings from Augustana College (6-13, 2-6 CCIW) for a College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) midday matchup. The Duhawks collected their 17th win of the season as they breezed past the Vikings in straight sets, 25-15, 28-26, 25-20. 

The Duhawks got off to an immediate 4-1 lead in the first set after Augie struck first, but the Duhawks scored four in a row on a pair of Vikings errors and kills from Patrick Mahoney and Corey Mayotte. Augie held tight with the Duhawks through the middle of the set, tying the game at 12 a side after scoring three straight but the Duhawks pulled away in dominant fashion, ending the set on a 11-1 scoring run that featured kills from Mayotte, Jake Filotto, Michael Dziewior, Tyler Kratocvhil and aces by Mahoney and David Beach as the offense hit a staggering .417 percent in the set, winning 25-15. 

The two sides traded scoring early in the second set but three straight Vikings errors put the Duhawks in the lead at 5-3, where they held on to the lead through the middle of the set, pulling away by five at 15-10 as a Kratochvil kill sparked a three-point run that saw Filotto follow up with an ace and Mayotte floor a kill. Augustana fought their way back into the game late in the set, tying the score at 22-22 as their offense came alive but back-to-back kills by Mahoney and Filotto brought the set to a close in extra points at 28-26. 

Senior Matt Jordan kicked the third set off with a service as that was followed by an Augie attacking error to give Loras an immediate two-point lead before the score found itself tied four times. The Duhawks broke the tie by going on a 5-1 scoring run, featuring a kill and an ace by Filotto and a kill by Kratochvil as the Duhawks catapulted into the lead at 10-7. Loras pulled away again in the middle of the set, going on a four-point run that saw Ryan Floyd floor two aces and Beach add a kill to bring the score to 15-10 as the Duhawks held onto the lead through the remainder of the set to win 25-20 and earn their sixth conference victory of the season. 

The Duhawks hit .247 percent in the game with 37 kills to the Vikings' 26, led by Filotto and Kratochvil who notched eight apiece. At the service line, the Duhawks floored 11 aces in the match as Mahoney paved the way with a season-best four of his own while Filotto and Floyd added two each and Jordan, Beach and Mayotte added one apiece. Mahoney and Beaach led the Duhawks' defense at the net with two blocks each while libero Cameron Menini put up nine digs, followed by Filotto who added seven. 

Loras wraps up their three-day homestand on Sunday, Mar. 20 as they take on the North Park University Vikings. The match is scheduled to begin at 3:00 PM.