NAPERVILLE, Ill. – The No. 10-ranked Loras College men's volleyball team battled past North Central College in a five-set thriller Saturday afternoon, earning a 3-2 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) victory inside Gregory Arena.

The opening set featured early back-and-forth action before Loras (20-5, 6-4 CCIW) created separation midway through the frame.The Duhawks used a strong run behind attack errors from the Cardinals and a kill from Bo Brainerd III to build momentum and close out a 25-17 set one victory.

Set two proved to be tightly contested throughout, with 11 ties highlighting the competitive frame. Neither team was able to create much distance until late, when Loras capitalized on key North Central (10-12, 4-6 CCIW) errors and a service ace from Brainerd to secure a 26-24 win and take a 2-0 lead.

The third set was the most competitive of the match, featuring 22 ties and multiple lead changes. The two teams traded points deep into extra rallies, but the Cardinals were able to outlast the Duhawks down the stretch to take the set, 31-29.

North Central carried that momentum into the fourth set, using a mid-set run to gain control. Despite kills from Nolan Krygsheld and Aidan Peloquin to keep things close, the Cardinals held on for a 25-22 victory to force a decisive fifth set.

In the final frame, North Central jumped out to an early advantage before Loras responded with a key run midway through the set. A kill from James Pirocanac and a late block helped the Duhawks regain control, as they closed out the match with a 15-11 win.

Loras was led by Brainerd III, who recorded 20 kills while adding six blocks and two service aces. Elijah Passey added 16 kills and 14 digs, while Krygsheld contributed 15 kills and six blocks. Evan Dziadkowiec paced the offense with 63 assists to go along with two service aces and 12 digs. Defensively, Brady Oberfoell tallied a team-high 18 digs. As a team, the Duhawks hit .271 with 75 kills and just 21 errors on 199 total attacks.

Up Next: The Purple and Gold will travel to Bloomington, Ill. for a CCIW Tournament semifinal matchup against No.2-seeded Illinois Wesleyan University on Wednesday, April 8. First serve against the Titans is scheduled for 7 p.m. inside Shirk Center.