Falcons Stopped by Spartans in Five Sets

AURORA, Ill. - The Concordia Wisconsin men's volleyball team took a close loss to the NACC-leading Aurora Spartans on Saturday night, falling in five sets. The defeat came after the Falcons mounted a comeback in the fourth set to force a fifth frame of play.

The Falcons took the opening set by a 25-18 score, and the seven-point triumph proved to be the largest margin of set victory by either team throughout the contest. The win came after a strong start for Concordia, which saw the team jump out to an early 9-3 lead. Senior Spencer Herman (Kimberly, Wis.) and sophomore Will Wood (Savage, Minn.) each contributed two kills to the stretch, and they would go on to lead the match with 20 and 13 total kills, respectively. A service ace by junior Kellen Gonzales (Milwaukee, Wis.) all-but-sealed the set for Concordia, as an attack error granted the Falcons the first frame of the evening.

The Spartans answered the performance in the second set, notching a 25-19 triumph to square the match at one. Herman was the strongest force of Concordia's offense during the frame, accounting for six total kills.

The third set was played to a largely even tune, as neither squad amassed a lead of more than five. Just as well, it featured eight ties and four swaps of the lead between teams, but it was ultimately Aurora that came out ahead, securing a 26-24 victory to seize control of the match.

The fourth set saw the Falcons power ahead after an early stalemate that saw the score evened six times through the first 14 rallies. With the score sitting at 7-7, Concordia rattled off an immaculate 7-0 run to take control of the set, which featured three service aces by sophomore Tate Miller (Anthem, Ariz.). Gonzales also added an ace while junior Lucas Beres (Germantown, Wis.) contributed a pair of kills, ultimately granting the Falcons a 25-20 victory in the set to keep the contest alive.

Concordia battled through the fifth frame, keeping the Spartans at bay late in its duration. However, after the scoreboard settled at a 9-9 reading, Aurora assembled a 6-2 run to take the set and the match.

As a team, the Falcons posted 58 kills to the Spartans' 50, while also boasting a .222 kill percentage in comparison to Aurora's .134.

Concordia will next battle the 3-17 Wisconsin Lutheran Warriors on March 26.