Chicago, Ill. - The Concordia University Chicago men's volleyball team made their way to Chicago, Ill. to battle against their opponents, the Vikings of North Park University. After a close cluster of sets, the Cougars defeated the Vikings at 3-1.
Inside the Box Score:
- Alexander Ford (Skokie, Ill.) topped the night's match with 18.5 points, 14 kills, an ace, seven blocks, three digs and 23 total attacks.
- Tyler Holubek (New Lenox, Ill.) ended the night's match with 16.5 points, 14 kills, two assists, five blocks, 12 digs and led with 40 total attacks.
- Jackson Stella (Hoffman Estates, Ill.) left the night's match with 14.5 points, 10 kills, an ace, three blocks, two digs and 33 total attacks.
- Tyrise Armstrong (Grayslake, Ill.) ended the night's match with 13.5 points, 10 kills, two aces, three blocks, eight digs and 22 total attacks.
Here's What Happened
Set One
The Vikings grabbed the first point of the set and gained an early lead after some out-of-bounds plays from the Cougars. The Cougars struggled to get their bearings. The Vikings continued to stack their points, pushing the Cougars down by 11 points. Holubek got his first kill of the night, earning the ball back for the Cougars. The Cougars slowly added points to the board, with kills from Armstrong getting the Cougars to 10. An attack from Ford had put the Cougars within five. The Vikings approached the set point. An ace sealed the deal, and the Vikings took the first set with a score of 25-18, going into the second set 1-0.
Set Two
The Cougars got the first point of the set from a serving error. Blocks from Holubek and
Leon Gudzovski (Des Plaines, Ill.) put the Cougars in the lead. The teams exchanged points for a good portion of the set. Kills from Stella gave the Cougars the lead once more. The Vikings took the lead for their own, but the Cougars only trailed by two. Ford and Holubek pushed the Cougars into a tie. The Vikings went into a 4-0 run. The Vikings approached the end of the set, but the Cougars fought back with kills from Stella and Ford. The Cougars took set two with a score of 27-25, both teams tied up at 1-1.
Set Three
An error from the Vikings gave the Cougars the first point of the set. The teams gave each other points throughout the first part of the set, errors from both sides making this happen. The Vikings took the lead, leaving the Cougars behind by three. Kills from Ford tied the teams up at 8-8. Attacks from Stella, Holubek and Gudzovski led the Cougars to go on a 5-0 run. The Vikings use the Cougars' missteps to their advantage, coming within one. The Cougars remained in the lead as they closed in on set point. The team fought for the win, going beyond typical set point. The Cougars took the third set with a score of 31-29, going into the fourth set in the lead at 2-1.
Set Four
The Cougars took on the first points of the set. The Vikings took the lead, even after a strong kill from Ford. The Cougars continued to apply pressure as they caught up to their opponents, a kill from Holubek tying things up. The teams continuously tied up; a kill from Ford and an ace from Armstrong had put the Cougars in the lead. Both teams broke 20, each trying to take the set. A kill from
Grayson Arn (Beloit, Wis.) helped push the Cougars to 22 points. The Cougars took the fourth and final set with a score of 25-22, defeating their opponents 3-1.
What's Next
The team will be back in Chicago, Ill. on February 14th to go up against Roosevelt University. The match will take place at the Goodman Center at 3 pm. Coverage for all things CUC men's volleyball can be found at cucougars.com/coverage.
