RIVER FOREST, Ill. – Men's Volleyball kicked off a NACC road swing Thursday evening down in Illinois. They squared off with the Concordia Chicago Cougars in an intense affair. The Eagles (4-7, 1-2 NACC) would not be denied in a critical match, rallying late in the fifth set for a 3-2 (19-25, 25-23, 25-19, 18-25, 20-18) victory over the Cougars (7-5, 1-2).
HOW IT HAPPENED
- While three unanswered had Edgewood University ahead 10-7, five points in a row had Concordia Chicago clicking in all phases as they claimed a 12-10 edge. The squads wrestled over slim leads, but the Cougars pounced first with a 7-2 burst, putting them ahead 21-16 and firmly in control of the first set.
- A relentless offense from the Eagles kicked things off 8-4 in frame two for the visitors, though an 8-4 response equalized the set for Concordia Chicago. The squads exchanged jabs as neither team gave an inch tied 23-23 late, but back-to-back points for Edgewood University evened the match.
- A 5-0 start for the Eagles in set three set the tone. They led by nine points at multiple parts of the frame as the Cougars never got going, Edgewood University claiming a 2-1 lead with an onslaught of offense, hitting .545 with 20 kills.
- The team grappled over the opening serves of the fourth frame, neither team giving an inch. Tied 13-13, the Eagles blinked first as a 5-1 rally for Concordia Chicago put the hosts ahead 18-14. Edgewood University had no answers as the Cougars forced a tiebreaker set.
- The Eagles found themselves with their backs against the wall, a 6-2 burst from Concordia Chicago having the hosts ahead 13-9. Edgewood University dug deeper, fending off two match points to battle back to a 14-14 tie. The squads clawed and scrapped over every point, but the Eagles emerged victorious with a 20-18 win.
- Edgewood University won the hitting battle .238-to-.152. The Eagles also posted 70 kills and 93 digs in an impressive team effort.
- Concordia Chicago posted a 12-to-8 edge in blocks and 8-to-3 advantage in aces, while posting six less service errors than Edgewood University.
- Five from Edgewood University finished with double-digit kills.
Cade Schueller shined with a 19-kill, 15-dig double-double with a .312 hitting percentage on 48 attempts.
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Oakley Griggs performed well on offense and defense with a 14-kill, 21-dig double-double.
Jack Mullane held down the fort at libero with 20 digs.
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Owen Voigt continued a strong stretch of play with 12 kills, including a .440 hitting percentage on 23 attempts, and three blocks.
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Carsyn Stringfellow hit 10 kills while
Owen Hartjes tallied 11 kills. Hartjes swung for .409 on 22 attempts.
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Ethan Hoffert fueled the impressive team effort on offense and defense. He posted 55 assists, 14 digs, and two aces.
- Jackson Stella recorded a 16-kill, 13-dig double-double with a match-high seven blocks.
- Michael Cardines earned 22 digs. Elijah Mosher posted 51 assists and 12 digs.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- The 70 kills and 87 digs as a team were new program records in a single match.
- Hoffert's 55 assists set a new program record in a single match.
- Schueller's 19 kills were a new personal high watermark and tied for second on the single match record books for Edgewood University
- Griggs' 21 digs were a new high watermark in a single match in program history. Mullane's 20 matched the previous record and were a personal best.
- Voigt's 12 kills were a new individual best.
- The Eagles have won three-straight against Concordia Chicago.
UP NEXT
NACC road action continues for Edgewood University Saturday. They'll head back to River Forest, Ill. to battle against the Dominican Stars, ranked #18 in the latest AVCA Division III national poll. First serve is scheduled for 4:00 p.m.
