By Nolan DeVriese | Athletic Communications Student Assistant

March 4, 2023 - Coming off a commanding victory over the Milwaukee School of Engineering on Thursday, the (RV) Loras College men's volleyball team got a chance to take on a highly ranked conference opponent on Saturday but fell in five sets in a tightly-contested match.

The Duhawks (12-2, 1-1 CCIW) had their hands full with North Central College (12-3, 3-0 CCIW) on Saturday. The Cardinals currently rank 10th in the country with a bunch of stars and top tier players on their squad. The Duhawks and the Cardinals were going back and forth throughout the first set with the Duhawks getting a couple of kills from their kill leader in sophomore Corey Mayotte. 

The crowd was also a big factor as the Duhawks channeled that energy and had quick runs late in the first set. Two big plays by Mayotte and junior Michael Dziewior got the Duhawks on the board leading 1-0 heading into the second set.

More of the same came in the second set as both teams never really took control of the set. North Central would get a couple of quick kills, then the Duhawks would come right back with their own from senior Dorian Fiorenza and junior Tyler Kratochvil. North Central had a run at the end of the set to take it and head into set three tied at 1-1.

In the third set the Duhawks started hot with by a kill from Kratochvil and a service ace from Fiorenza. Like the first two sets, it was back and forth, but North Central took it late to head into set four with a 2-1 lead.  

In the fourth set it was all Duhawks as this match was getting more and more intense as the sets went by. Loras gota acouple of big blocks from the man in the middle in senior Pat Mahoney as Dziewior added a couple of kills of his own, but North Central's Jared Moser, their driving force all afternoon, kept them in it with 22 kills.

Loras senior Joe Horn wasn't short on assists as he finished with 46 as he and Mayotte had a connection in the fourth set as they pulled away, sending it into a highly anticipated fifth set. North Central and the Duhawks played a great fifth set with a couple of kills from Mahoney and Fiorenza, but the final score went 15-13 in favor of the Cardinals as both teams played well and made sure the match lived up to the hype.

Fiorenza led Loras with 16 kills and 12 digs as he and Mayotte tied for the team lead with 18.5 points after Mayotte totaled 14 kills and six blocks, including three solos.

The Duhawks get another big test soon when they travel to Kenosha, Wis. to take on No. 4 Carthage College on Wednesday, March 8 at 7 P.M.