Falcons Defend Highway 57 Cup in Sweep Over Lakeland

MEQUON, Wis. - On Wednesday, the CUW men's volleyball team convincingly defeated the Muskies of Lakeland, 3-0, with set scores of 25-15, 25-17, and 27-25 to win the Highway 57 Cup for the second consecutive season.

With the victory, the Falcons improve to 9-7 overall, 5-2 in Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC) action, and 6-2 from the R. John Buuck Fieldhouse.

The Falcons wasted no time in the first set in establishing a lead, taking a quick 6-1 lead which featured back-to-back blocks from senior Spencer Herman (Kimberly, Wis.) and junior Lucas Beres (Germantown, Wis.) and a service ace from junior Logan Kebisek (Brookfield, Wis.).

Sophomore Will Wood (Savage, Minn.) joined the mix with a kill to give CUW the 11-3 lead.

CUW scored three straight later in the set, a pair of errors from Lakeland extending their lead to 18-7.

The Falcons continued their dominance, reaching the 22-point mark courtesy of a Tate Miller kill before taking the first set 25-15.

Looking to level the match at one set apiece, the Muskies battled early in the second set, establishing a 7-3 lead.

But the Falcons halted Lakeland's momentum and went on a 6-2 run to tie the score at 9-9. Will Wood and fellow sophomore Tate Miller (Anthem, Ariz.), as well as senior Spencer Herman, all had kills in that span.

In the next point, Spencer Herman gave the CUW their first lead of the set. The Blue and White's momentum continued as Tate Miller went crosscourt to provide the flock with the 11-9 lead.

CUW gradually expanded its lead as it reached the 20-point mark first. Lucas Beres made a heads-up play near the net to give CUW the five-point lead at 20-15.

Later in the set, an attacking error from the Muskies and a kill from Spencer Herman would inch the Falcons toward the 25-point summit, as they led 23-16.

Another error from Lakeland would trigger a set point for CUW. The Blue and White would capitalize on their opportunity, as a swing from Tate Miller put things away, securing the 25-17 victory and earning CUW the 2-0 advantage.

As a team, the second set saw CUW record a .484 hitting percentage, as they recorded 16 kills and only committed one error.

Early in the third frame, a service ace from Spencer Herman squared the score at five.

But Lakeland showed no quit despite being down two sets to none and continued to give the Falcons a fight. However, CUW would rattle three straight points, capped off by a monster swing from Lucas Beres to level the score at 9-9.

Determined to take one set, the Muskies continued to apply pressure as they held a 17-13 lead over CUW.

Out of a timeout, the Muskies committed a pair of errors, and Spencer Herman recorded his second ace of the contest to force a timeout from Lakeland.

The Falcons continued to chip away. Spencer Herman brought the score within one, while a swing from Tate Miller leveled the score at 21-21, forcing yet another timeout from the Lakeland bench.

A block from Lucas Beres and Will Wood once again set the score at 23-23, while a service error from the Muskies made it 24-24.

The Muskies took the 25-24 lead before giving it up at the next point, which brought the score to 25-25.

The next play would see a swing from Tate Miller put CUW up 26-25, while an error from Lakeland secured the sweep for the Falcons.

Spencer Herman led the game with 13 kills on a .385 hitting percentage, while Tate Miller added 10. Herman also got it done defensively, recording the double-double with 11 digs, while sophomore Parker Pearson (Keller, Texas) had 15 digs.

Also, on the defensive end, Lucas Beres had seven block assists.

Will Wood tied a career-high with eight kills on a whopping .538 hitting percentage.

Spencer Herman and Logan Kebisek each had two service aces, while Kebisek had a game-high 30 assists.

As a team, the Falcons had a .344 hitting percentage and 38 kills, compared to Lakeland's .049 hitting percentage and 29 kills.

The Falcons will resume competition on Saturday when they travel south to take on the Spartans of Aurora University.