MILWAUKEE, WIS.- The Concordia Chicago University (CUC) men's volleyball team traveled to Milwaukee, Wisconsin for another Northern Athletic Collegiate College (NACC) game against No. 15 Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE). Despite close play, the Cougars fell in three sets against the Raiders.
INSIDE THE BOX
- Jackson Stella (Hoffman Estates, Ill.) led the Cougars scoreboard with 8 points, recording 5 kills and 0.5 blocks.
- Alexander Ford (Skokie, Ill.) followed behind with 7.5 points, tallying 7 kills and 0.5 blocks.
- Leon Gudzovski (Des Plaines, Ill.) added 7.5 points with 6 kills.
- Tyrise Armstrong (Grayslake, Ill.) contributed 2.5 points, along with 3 digs, and 0.5 blocks
- Michael Cardines (Chicago, Ill.) and Tate Johnson (Plainfield, Ill.) both led the team defensively with 3 digs apiece.
- Elijah Mosher (Clayton, Ohio) led the offense with 17 assists and added 0.5 blocks.
HERE'S WHAT HAPPENED:
SET ONE
The Raiders opened up the set with a fast start, taking an early three-point lead before the Cougars got on the board with a kill from Jackson. A service ace helped the Cougars cut the deficit to just one point, 3-2. Both teams continued to exchange points but with the Raiders consistently matching the Cougars' energy, they maintained their lead. Kills from Stella, Ford, and
Tate Johnson (Plainfield, Ill.) helped keep the Cougars within one of the Raiders. The set remained close until the Raiders went on a 5-0 run, extending their lead by six points, 23-17. Despite the Cougars' trying efforts, the Raiders secured the set after a Cougar service error, 25-20.
SET TWO
Starting the second set with a two-point lead, the Raiders carried their momentum. The Cougars responded, trailing by just one point at 3-2. The score stayed tight until the Raiders shot a burst in energy with five consecutive points, 12-5. The Cougars answered with a brief 2-0 run, highlighted by a kill by Gudzovski and a Raider attack error. Matching their energy once again, the Raiders added two points to their scoreboard, doubling the Cougars' score of 14-7. The remainder of the set featured back and forth with scoring but with the advantage of an early lead, the Raiders finished the set off with a kill followed by a Cougars attacking error with a final score of 25-14.
SET THREE
Both teams set an early tie with the score of 1-1. The set remains tied until the fourth point when the Cougars found a swing of momentum, scoring four consecutive points, taking the lead by three with a score of 7-4. Not letting go without a battle, the Raiders responded back with four straight points, stealing the lead by one point. Right off the bat, Ford hit a kill, forcing another early tie, 8-8. Both teams battled until the Raiders broke away with three points, creating the lead of 13-10. The Cougars attempted to close the gap, but the Raiders maintained control, leading 21-16 before a Cougar timeout. After a quick break, the Cougars went on a 2-0 run narrowing the score down to three points, 23-20. Coming off a Raiders timeout, the Raiders sealed the set with two kills, while the Cougars added a point off an attack error from the Raiders, giving MSOE a 25-21 set victory and the 3-0 match victory.
WHAT'S NEXT
The Cougars will continue being on the road next week against Illinois Institute of Technology on Wednesday, April 1st at 7:00 PM in Chicago, Ill. Coverage for all things CUC men's volleyball can be found at
cucougars.com/coverage.
