Men's Volleyball Battles to Five Sets at Illinois Tech

CHICAGO, Ill. - The Concordia University Wisconsin men's volleyball team battled the Illinois Tech Scarlet Hawks to a five-set thriller on the road, but ultimately fell short, losing 29-27, 16-25, 19-25, 25-23, and 11-15. The defeat dropped the Falcons to 2-11 on the season and 0-2 in Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC) play.

The Falcons claimed the opening set 29-27 in dramatic fashion, which featured 16 ties.

Senior Lucas Beres (Germantown, Wis.) and freshman Reid Scott (Chandler, Ariz.) each had five kills in the set, with Beres posting an impressive .667 hitting percentage.

Beres also made his mark defensively, recording three blocks, including one solo.

The Falcons led 22-19, but the Scarlet Hawks rallied to tie the set at 22-22. From there, neither team could break away, with the set featuring three set points in CUW's favor.

The Falcons eventually sealed the set with a kill from freshman Owen Kolozsy (Carol Stream, Ill.) and an Illinois Tech hitting error, taking the first set 29-27.

However, the Scarlet Hawks responded in the second and third sets, defending their home court well. Illinois Tech surged ahead in the second, claiming a comfortable 25-16 win.

The third set followed a similar pattern, as the Scarlet Hawks made a late push to secure a 25-19 victory, giving them a 2-1 lead in the match.

Despite the setbacks, the Falcons kept their composure and bounced back in the fourth set, taking it 25-23 to force a decisive fifth set. The Falcons' offense in the fourth was well-distributed, with Scott, Kolozsy, Beres, and junior Will Wood (Savage, Minn.) each recording two kills. Junior Chase Ammons (Keller, Texas) led the offense with three kills.

Beres was a defensive force, posting three solo blocks and one block assist in the fourth alone.

The set was closely contested, featuring 10 ties and five lead changes. The Falcons ultimately prevailed, with Ammons capping off the set with a kill off a pass from freshman Hayden Hurley (Gilbert, Ariz.), forcing the deciding fifth set.

In the fifth set, the Scarlet Hawks seized control early, going on a 4-0 run after the Falcons had led 4-2. Though CUW remained within striking distance, Illinois Tech held on for a 15-11 victory, clinching the match.

The Falcons registered 11.5 team blocks, with Beres posting a season-high nine blocks. He also contributed 11 kills on a .400 attacking percentage.

Scott led the team with 14 kills and added four block assists. Hurley had a strong performance with 40 assists, while junior Parker Pearson (Keller, Texas) tallied 16 assists and 38 service receptions.

Several Falcons also contributed service aces, including Hurley, junior Tate Miller (Anthem, Ariz.), senior Logan Kebisek (Brookfield, Wis.), Kolozsy, and Beres.

Looking ahead, the Falcons will travel to Chicago next Friday to face the Cougars of Concordia University Chicago.