Men’s Volleyball upsets No. 13 MSOE

Men’s Volleyball upsets No. 13 MSOE

MEQUON, Wis. – Concordia Wisconsin continues to make history this season, this time upsetting No. 13 MSOE 3-2 (14-25, 25-16, 23-25, 28-26, 15-11) for its first win over a nationally ranked opponent and first NACC victory in program history on Wednesday night.

THE BASICS
Final Score: Concordia Wisconsin 3, MSOE 2 (14-25, 25-16, 23-25, 28-26, 15-11)
Location: R. John Buuck Field House (Mequon, Wis.)
Records: Concordia Wisconsin 5-2, 1-0 NACC; MSOE 4-3, 0-1 NACC

QUOTING CONNOR MUFF AND CURTIS MADSON


HOW IT HAPPENED
- Concordia Wisconsin continues to shine in the early portions of the 2019 season and made a statement inside the R. John Buuck Field House. Playing in one of the toughest conferences in the country, the Falcons began league play with a stunning victory over the Raiders.
- After falling in the opening set, 25-14, the hosts charged back with a 25-16 second set win after hitting an outstanding .556 at the net. During the frame, five Falcons had multiple kills.
- With the match even at a set apiece, the intensity on the court and in the building rose a notch higher. Late in the third set, MSOE did just enough to hold off Concordia Wisconsin who was within two points down the stretch.
- The Falcons captured the fourth set, 28-26, needing extra points to push the match to a deciding fifth stanza. Looking at the numbers, it would appear they didn't win the set after hitting .069, compared to the Raiders .393, but four service aces and effort plays throughout were the difference.
- With momentum on their side, Concordia Wisconsin built a comfortable 8-3 lead in the deciding fifth set. MSOE did make a 6-2 run to put the scoreboard at 10-9 and force a timeout. Exiting the pep talk, the Falcons rallied with a 5-2 scoring run, capped off by a James Althoff kill to seal the memorable victory.
- Althoff (freshman, Kenosha, Wis.) led all players with 14 kills on a .286 hitting percentage, to go along with 17 digs, six service aces and two assists. It was his third double-double of the season.
- Freshman Connor Muff (Kenosha, Wis.) tallied 33 assists, three kills, and two block assists. Sophomore Blake Schwandt (Kenosha, Wis.) had eight kills and two block assists, while sophomore Sam Rovik (Silver Lake, Wis.) finished with seven kills and seven digs.
- Quin Krisik led the Raiders with nine kills, 19 assists and five digs.

MATCH NOTES
- The Falcons have hit at least .200 in each of their five wins this season.
- Concordia Wisconsin will play three ranked opponents within a 13-day span (No. 13 MSOE win on Wednesday, at No. 5 Dominican on Friday and against No. 9 Benedictine on February 16).

NEXT ON THE SCHEDULE
- Concordia Wisconsin travels to No. 5 Dominican on Friday for a 5 pm NACC contest.