SPRINGFIELD, Ohio – The Loras College men's volleyball team started off its weekend in Ohio with a 3-0 victory over Wittenberg University on Friday night.
The Tigers benefited from a couple of Duhawk errors in the beginning of set one, allowing them to take an early 2-0 lead. Wittenberg (6-6) went on an 8-4 run to increase their lead to six (10-4), but Loras (8-0) erased the deficit posting back-to-back four-point runs to put them ahead for the first time in the set, 18-16. The Purple and Gold ultimately took set one by a score of 25-21.
After trading points early on in set two, the Duhawks used an 8-1 run to take a 14-9 lead. Loras extended its lead to as many as seven (20-13) and weathered a 6-2 run by the Tigers that cut the lead to just three (22-19). The Duhawks took a 2-0 lead in the match with a 25-20 victory in the second set.
Unlike the first two sets, the Purple and Gold earned the first two points of the final set. The Duhawks would build upon that lead for the entirety of the set to cruise to a 25-17 set win to complete the sweep.
Eli Halverson led the way for the Tigers with 11 kills and 10 digs. Michael Yurk added in eight kills and two solo blocks, while Andrew Diaz de Padilla dished out 29 assists to go along with a team-high two service aces. As a team, Wittenberg hit .104, which featured 31 kills and 21 errors in 96 attempts.
Loras was led by
Dorian Fiorenza who finished with nine kills, five service aces and seven digs.
Corey Mayotte contributed eight kills and a pair of blocks, while
Joe Horn totaled 22 assists and a game-high 11 digs in the win. The Duhawks hit .234 as a team, finishing with 29 kills and 11 errors in 77 attempts.
Up Next: The Duhawks are back in action tomorrow in Cincinnati, Ohio for day one of the Mount St. Joseph University tournament. The Purple and Gold face off against Marian University at 4:00 p.m. (ET), before taking on the host at 8:00 p.m. (ET).
