Box Score COSTA MESA -- Men's volleyball's closing game of a four-match set with Concordia ended Saturday night in a 3-2 defeat at the Freed Center. The Lions boasted their most dominant scoring margin of the season to win the first stanza 25-11 but Concordia returned to win the next two sets with scores of 25-19 and 25-20. VU regained control in the fourth period 25-23, but the final frame went to the Golden Eagles after a dangerous scoring run gave the visitors at 15-8 decision. The Blue and Gold move to 7-14 and 2-8 in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation, while Concordia improved to 9-14 and 2-5 in the conference.
Vanguard's front row came to play, as
Nick Dvorak clipped a career-high 14 kills in his eighth errorless game of the season. The freshman swung .609 (14-0-23) and added two blocks and a service ace.
Micah Sybesma was the other Lion in double-figures for kills, netting 13 on an efficient .435 (13-3-23) hitting percentage.
Sean Nguyen produced his first double-double with the Blue and Gold, tallying 42 assists and 10 digs.
Logan Freemon and
Logan Finley each secured nine kills in the contest, with Finley adding 10 digs and Freemon picking up nine.
Jacob Bayston had a team-high 13 digs while
Phinehas Wiley collected eight kills, striking .250. CUI's Connor Dell went for a career-best 21 kills with a .447 (21-5-47) hitting percentage.
VU was ravenous defensively, scooping up a season-best 57 digs and posting five players with at least nine digs. The hitting percentage between both sides was nearly identical, with the Lions hitting .278 (54-1-133) and CUI going .271 (58-19-144) across the five sets. The Golden Eagles led 11-8 in service aces while VU snatched a narrow edge in assists 51-49.
What Happened? The Lions never surrendered their lead in the opening stanza. They hit their match-best .435 (11-1-23) to start proceedings and opened on a 5-1 run. A torpedo off the block from Finley and an ace from Wiley demanded a CUI timeout. The Golden Eagles maintained a more even footing out of the break but committed eight attacking errors in the set to plant the Lions firmly ahead. The Blue and Gold would score seven of their final eight points courtesy a CUI miscues, as Freemon delivered an ace in the closing trades of the set.
Set 2 – Concordia had a way back in the second frame, after improving their hitting percentage to .462, and trimming down their attacking errors to just one in the period. The Golden Eagles jumped to a 4-1 start to set the pace. Sybesma's rotation back into the front row earned him two straight kills and a service ace to bridge the Lions back within one (8-7 CUI). Both teams went back and forth with consistent service pressure and though the ace totals for the set were similar (4-3 CUI), VU's seven service errors gave Concordia space to create a steady 3-4 point lead. The Golden Eagles pulled away on a 6-4 run to claim the win.
Set 3 – The third period was the war of long rallies, as both teams combined for 95 total attacks. VU earned advantages on the defensive side, piling an impressive 27 digs. However, the hard-fought set was won at the service line, with CUI leading 4-0 in aces. The score remained tied until CUI set the standard on a 6-2 run to lead 11-7. Vanguard's timeout gave them time to reset, as Finley forced one off the high hands and Dvorak drove one down the donut in the middle of the floor. VU tried to ride a run, but two straight CUI aces sent the visitor's lead to eight at 20-12, as the Lions could not make up the deficit.
Set 4—The Lions dictated the pace of the fourth frame to force the fifth set. They hit a steady .333 (13-4-27) and returned to presenting a reliable threat in serve receive. The first four VU points were split between Dvorak and Wiley, who each made quality in-system swings. Nguyen got a firm hand on an overpass to force a CUI timeout and fuel a 10-4 Lion run. The Lions were nearing set point at 23-18 when the Golden Eagle's resurgence came. Three kills from Dell dished out a 5-1 run, but CUI handed the set over on a service error at set point.
Set 5 – The Golden Eagles found their best hitting in the final frame at a .636 (8-1-11) rate, while the Lions hit .211 (7-3-19). CUI had first blood in the set, but VU remained on their heels. Freemon sent a blur from the back row for a 2-2 scoreline, but a tight Vanguard service error brought CUI back in front. Dvorak demolished another out of the front and Sybesma stabbed two kills in the CUI defense for a 6-6 set. VU's forward momentum halted there as the potent CUI attack left the Lions playing from behind. The Blue and Gold were denied any pivotal side outs, as a fluid CUI offense delivered a 9-2 punch to finish the game in the fifth set.
What's Next? The Lions will take a break from MPSF action as they welcome Jessup on Friday, April 4 at 7 pm.
