River Forest, Ill.. -- A dominating start for the Concordia University Chicago Men's Volleyball team proved successful as they brought home their first win inside Geiseman Gymnasium in front of a rowdy crowd.
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Starting set one with some heat the Cougars jumped out to a 5-0 lead with strong serving from Luke Vozenilek (Westmont, Ill.). As the Muskies fought back and brought the score within two, a straight shot down the ten foot line from Virgilio Rodriguez (Cicero, Ill.) gave them the edge needed to push through. Ending the set with ten kills, the Cougars took the lead 1-0 after a 25-18 set one win.
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Starting set two with confidence, the Cougars jumped ahead yet again with a 5-1 lead. The Muskies fought back, evening the score at seven. Consistent serves from
Josh Rapley (Elgin, Ill.) combined with a massive block from
Colby Campbell (Brookfield, Ill.) drove the Cougars ahead for good. Closing the second set 25-18 with a total of ten kills, the Cougars went up 2-0 heading to the closing set of the match.
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With the momentum on their side heading into the third set, the Cougars hit the gas and took an 11-3 lead with no signs of slowing down. With
Blake Rosen (Aldie, Va.)and
Tyler Holubek (New Lenox, Ill.) fighting defensively for the Cougars, there was no chance for the Muskies to climb ahead. The duo grabbed eight digs combined in the third set, and a total of 19 combined on the night.Â
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The Cougars closed the third set 25-11, sweeping the Muskies away for the first time at home this season. This Cougar team will be back in action on Monday night when they head down the street to take on the number five Dominican University Stars in another Division Street Rivalry match.
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Coverage for all our games can be found at cucougars.com/coverage.Â