CHICAGO, Ill. (April 1, 2023) – For the second time in as many days, the (RV) Loras College men's volleyball team was forced into a fourth set but still emerged with a 3-1 win, this time against North Park University on Saturday afternoon.

The Duhawks (17-5, 5-4 CCIW) won the first two sets in Chicago on Saturday but got tripped up in the third set by the Vikings (12-13, 2-6 CCIW) before sailing to a 25-12 win in the final frame to win their second match in as many days.

Loras has still never lost to the Vikings in the all-time series history and played like the superior team in the early going on Saturday. The Duhawks held a lead for most of the first set, but really started to pull away in the middle stages as a 7-1 run put them up 16-9 as sophomore hitter Corey Mayotte tallied two kills during that stretch. The Duhawks then ended the set with five straight points as senior middle blocker Patrick Mahoney played a vital role with two service aces near the end.

Set two was all about the Vikings early on as they jumped out to a 7-3 lead before surrendering an 8-2 Loras run that sent the Duhawks into the lead at 11-9. Shortly thereafter, two more service aces, this time courtesy of senior hitter Dorian Fiorenza, extended the lead to 16-10. As the teams traded points down the stretch, Fiorenza put a bow on the frame with a kill as the Duhawks escaped with a 25-20 win.

Loras played from behind in the third set as they consistently trailed the Vikings by just a couple points. A late string of four straight points kept the Duhawks in it, but it was North Park that prevailed with a 25-23 win to force a fourth set.

The Duhawks were not about to head off to a fifth set as they easily toppled the Vikings 25-12 in the fourth. After holding a slim 11-9 lead, Loras decided enough was enough and ended the set on a 14-3 run to cap off a season sweep of the Vikings.

Mayotte (17) and Mahoney (11) led the way in kills as they were the only two players in the match to reach double figures. The duo also accounted for a total of 11 block assists as part of the team's 11-block total. Senior setter Joe Horn also cleared the 40-assist mark for the second match in a row with 44 on Saturday.

The Duhawks will conclude their 2023 regular season next Saturday, April 8, with a 3:30 P.M. match in Bloomington, Ill. versus Illinois Wesleyan University.