Naperville, Ill. - The Concordia University Chicago men's volleyball team made the trip to Naperville, Ill. to battle against the Cardinals of North Central College. After an intense battle, the Cardinals defeated the Cougars 3-1.
Inside the Box Score:
- Tyler Holubek (New Lenox, Ill.) led the night's game with 15 points, 14 kills, 10 digs, a block and led with 42 total attacks.
- Jackson Stella (Hoffman Estates, Ill.) left the night's game with 12 points, 10 kills, four blocks, a dig and 30 total attacks.
- Alexander Ford (Skokie, Ill.) ended the night's game with 8.5 points, six kills, an ace, three blocks and 15 total attacks.
Here's What Happened
Set One
The Cardinals saw the first point of the set after an attack error, quickly followed up by a kill from Stella. The Cardinals came into a 5-1 lead early on. A service error on the Cardinals' side gave the ball back to the Cougars, but the Cardinals earned it back. A kill from Holubek brought the ball back, eating into the Cardinal lead. The Cardinals proceeded to build up a nine-point lead.
Tristan Caminar (Bolingbrook, Ill.) and Ford came in with kills, while Holubek delivered a beautiful tip - all working to lessen the Cardinal lead. Blocks from Stella and
Avery Ekstrom (Elgin, Ill.) helped the Cougars break 10. The Cougars fell behind with multiple errors, watching the Cardinals as they took the first set with a final score of 25-15. The Cardinals went into the second set 1-0.
Set Two
Caminar started out the set with an ace. The teams proceeded to exchange points for the first portion of the set, kills from Ekstrom and Holubek putting the Cougars in the lead. The Cardinals tried to chip away at the Cougar lead, eventually tying the teams up with 6-6. The teams continued to go back-and-forth, fighting for the top spot. The Cardinals managed to find their footing and take the lead, capitalizing on the Cougars' missteps. The Cardinals gained a three-point advantage, but some attack errors had put the Cougars within one. Holubek had put down a steep kill, trying to prevent the Cardinals from getting set point. The Cardinals took set two with a final score of 25-21, going into the third set as leaders with 2-0.
Set Three
The Cardinals took the first point of the set with a kill. The Cardinals built up their lead with kills, attacking where the Cougars were not. Ford ate into the Cardinal lead with a kill. The Cardinals proceeded to go on a 4-0 run before blocks from Ford and
Grayson Arn (Beloit, Wis) cut things off. Stella delivered a kill that put the Cougars within one. The Cardinals maintained their lead, but the Cougars continued to strike back. The teams tied up at 20-20. The Cougars gained a 2-0 lead, putting who will take the set into question. Miraculously, the Cougars took the third set with a final score of 25-22, going into set four 1-2.
Set Four
The Cougars got the first point of the set after an impressive rally, followed by an ace from Arn. Holubek came back into play with his amazing kills, along with teammate
Tyrise Armstrong (Grayslake, Ill.) with a kill of his own. The Cardinals took the lead, but the Cougars remained on their tails. The Cougars got into a three-point lead, but the Cardinals tied it up at 18-18. An ace from Ford brought the Cougars to 20 points. The Cardinals took the lead for the final time, aces sealing the deal. The Cardinals took the fourth and final set with a final score of 25-21, defeating the Cougars 3-1.
What's Next
The team will be back on their home court on January 24th to face off against Augustana College. The game will take place at 1 pm. Coverage for all things CUC men's volleyball can be found at
cucougars.com/coverage.
