Falcons Down DI American International for First Win

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – In the opening match of their East Coast trip, the Concordia University Wisconsin men's volleyball team earned their first win of the season, defeating the NCAA Division I American International College Yellow Jackets in four sets: 25-13, 21-25, 25-18, 25-16.

The Falcons were dominant in the first set, cruising to a 25-13 victory behind a stellar performance from junior Chase Ammons (Elm Grove, Wis.), who recorded four kills on a perfect attacking percentage. Senior Lucas Beres (Germantown, Wis.) also had a strong first frame, contributing two kills with a perfect attacking percentage and three block assists.

CUW quickly jumped to a 10-5 lead, highlighted by a kill from freshman Owen Kolozsy (Carol Stream, Ill.) set up by senior Logan Kebisek (Brookfield, Wis.).

Later in the set, the Falcons rattled off six consecutive points to extend their lead to 21-13. Ammons clinched the set with a service ace, giving CUW an early confidence boost.

However, the Yellow Jackets came out strong in the second set and leveled the match at 1-1 with a 25-21 win. The set featured six ties and three lead changes. After the score hit 7-7, AIC surged ahead with a run the Falcons couldn't recover from, ultimately dropping the second set.

Not to be deterred, CUW bounced back in the third, winning 25-18. Like the second set, this one was a back-and-forth battle, with 12 ties and six lead changes.

After a 6-6 tie, the Falcons went on a run, taking a 10-7 lead thanks to key kills from juniors Tate Miller (Anthem, Ariz.) and Will Wood (Savage, Minn.).

AIC fought back to level the score at 12-12, but following another tie at 18-18, the Falcons closed out the set on a 7-0 run. The surge was ignited by Miller and Kebisek, who connected for a kill and a pair of service aces. The final points came from a block by Miller and Beres and attacking errors from AIC, culminating in a swing from Miller to seal the set.

With momentum on their side, the Falcons continued to apply pressure in the fourth set, never relinquishing the lead in a 25-16 win.

CUW started strong, taking the first four points, with Beres and Miller each contributing a kill and Kebisek adding another service ace. The Falcons extended their lead to 13-6 with a kill from Kolozsy and another ace from Ammons.

They continued to build on that advantage, going up 20-12 as the Yellow Jackets struggled with errors. Kebisek served up match point with an ace, and Beres finished the contest with a kill off a set from Kebisek.

As a team, the Falcons hit a season-high .299, while also recording eight service aces and four solo blocks. Individually, three players finished with attacking percentages over .400 as Beres posted an impressive .765 with 13 kills, Miller led all players with 14 kills on a .480 hitting percentage, and Ammons added eight kills with a .400 hitting percentage.

Kebisek also played a key role, dishing out 45 assists.

Defensively, junior Parker Pearson (Keller, Texas) led the team with 16 digs and 22 service receptions, while Beres posted a team-high six blocks, including one solo and five assists. Meanwhile, Owen Kolozsy had two solo blocks on the night.

"It was nice to see our team start to find their identity tonight," said head coach Curtis Madson. "With so many new faces and even our returnees filling new roles, it's taken some time to settle in. Hopefully, tonight is exactly what we needed to get that growth going."

The Falcons will look to build on this momentum as they continue their East Coast trip tomorrow, facing off against Sage and Lasell.