DUBUQUE, Iowa – The Loras College men's volleyball team swept North Park University in straight sets in the opening match of College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) play inside the Lillis Athletic & Wellness Center on Saturday afternoon. 

The first set started out as a back-and-forth affair until a Viking attack error gave Loras (12-1 overall, 1-0 CCIW) a four-point lead (8-4) early in the first set. The Duhawks were able to extend that lead to eight (17-9) on a Connor Jaral kill. North Park (1-12, 0-1) fought hard to keep the set close, but it was not enough as the Purple and Gold took the first set, 25-17. 

The Vikings fought closely with Loras in the second set with the set being tied at 4-4 after eight serves. A kill by Elijah Passey gave the Duhawks a two-point lead (7-5), but a Duhawk attack error allowed North Park to tie it up at 7-7 a few serves later. Loras went on an 18-8 run to finish out the second set, taking set two by a score of 25-14.   

North Park did not give up in the third set, fighting to earn its first lead of the match, 8-7, early in the set. The Duhawks were quickly able to reclaim their lead thanks to a kill from Bo Brainerd III and a Viking attack error to make the score 9-8. The Purple and Gold pulled away quickly, jumping out to a 10-point lead (23-13) late in the third set. A Viking service error secured the sweep for the Duhawks as they were victorious in the final set by a score of 25-17. 

Loras was led by Passey who finished with 11 kills. Jaral and Brainerd followed closely behind with eight and seven kills respectively. Evan Dziadkowiec pitched in 31 assists and tied a team-high six digs. As a team, the Duhawks hit .452, which featured 35 kills and seven errors on 62 attempts. 

Up Next: The Duhawks will take on the Cardinals of North Central College inside the Lillis Athletic & Wellness Center on Wednesday, Feb. 25. First serve is scheduled for 7 p.m.