COSTA MESA – Men's volleyball (2-2, 0-1) got back to action Saturday night, earning a 3-1 result in a nonconference bout against #1 Springfield at the Freed Center. The top-ranked team in NCAA DIII topped the Blue and Gold in a longstanding 28-26 opening set, but the Lions responded with three straight set wins, all of which were won by seven or more points.

Micah Sybesma was two kills shy of a new career-high, collecting a game-best 15 kills, swatting .500 (15-4-22), and also adding five digs. Cole Oliver was back in double-figures for the second time this season, earning 14 kills, seven digs, and two aces, while clipping a .357 (14-4-28) mark from the outside. Logan Freemon was the last Lion to enter double-digit kills, firing 10 kills and 10 digs for his second career-double-double. Brock Henderson dished out a career-best 50 assists.

VU hit .333 (57-19-114) to SPR's .242 (35-13-91). Both teams were near even at the net (5-4 blocks VU), and the Lions layered on the aces with a 7-2 margin against the Pride.

What Happened? Logan Finley had dibs on the first VU point of the night, erupting from a bic to set the game in motion. Three different Lions netted kills through the next run of points, and Grant Veldman grabbed Vanguard's first ace to put the home team up by one (7-6 VU).

Springfield shot back with a 4-1 run, earning their own ace to cap the scoring (9-8 SP) and march in front. The lead flipped back to the hosts, as Oliver cashed in on the next two VU kills, both coming from back row attacks.

Set one tallied 19 total ties between both teams, and eight of them came in the midway stretch of the frame. The teams split 16 total points evenly for a 20-20 scoreline. Both sides then issued out six errors in the next collective eight points of the set, a pair of service errors once again pinching the balance level (24-24). Oliver broke the deadlock to trigger VU's set point (25-24), but the cross-court kill was the final Lion kill of the frame. Springfield ripped up a killer dig in the front row to stay alive and hit 1.000 over their final four swings to win the set 28-26.

Set 2- Vanguard were eager to even the set score heading into the second stanza as they committed just one attack error (13-1-25) in the upcoming set to hit a match-best .480.

Springfield came out slightly less polished, as three quickfire errors helped VU mount a 5-2 start to the set. Sybesma and Henderson combined for the next collection of VU points, as Henderson set up Sybesma's strike through the gap and the middle blocker soon after cranked out an ace to breach the Lions into double figures (10-5 VU).

Oliver took part in the next scoring wave, crushing three kills in the middle of a 6-1 run to double their advantage to 16-8. Springfield closed the set on an 8-6 run but could not draft the momentum needed to come back from the deficit, as Finley collected the final blow to even the set score.

Set 3- Despite a closer final score, VU led for all one rally in set three. Springfield hit .175 to cause problems midway through the set, but VU had enough in the tank to hold off the push and take the 2-1 advantage.

Oliver struck gold from the service line to start the scoring, and Freemon found comfort from the right pin for a 3-1 VU score. The Lions claimed their next phase of points from unlikely sources, with Henderson hounding down two of his three kills in the set and Jacob Bayston producing a rare libero kill for his first-ever kill for the Blue and Gold  (8-4 VU).

Springfield wasn't out for the count by any means, five VU errors kept the Pride trailing by just two points (11-9 VU), and SPR two kills and their final ace of the contest leveled Springfield at 13-all.

VU would not be dislodged, however, only committing one error for the remainder of the set to cleanout a .313 hitting performance. Sybesma's serving run laid the groundwork for a 7-1 Lion swing, featuring two Sybesma kills and a pair of aces. Veldman helped the Lions defend their second set-point to take the lead into the final set.

Set 4- The Lions maintained their +.300 clip, striking for .333 (14-6-24) in the last set of the match. Springfield suffered a match low of .053 (5-4-19) and struggled to slow down Freemon and Sybesma, who combined for 8 of the 14 kills.

Freemon and Oliver produced the first pair of VU points, but three Lion errors left the teams tied 3-3. SPR committed three attack errors of their own, and a double block by Henderson and Sybesma crept the Lions up to a two-point lead (8-6 VU). Braddock Duckworth had the next find in open play for the Lions, and Oliver traced his 13th kill from the pin for 10-8 Lions.

Vanguard launched away with a trifecta of kills from Sybesma and Freemon each and a cluster of errors from Springfield. Sybesma and Freemon also fastened the seam on a double block amid the 10-5 run as VU jumped into the red zone (20-13 VU). Oliver ended the evening's scoring with an assist to Duckworth, an ace, and the last kill of the match to bring the Lions back to winning ways.

What's Next? The Blue and Gold take on Saint Xavier on Friday, Jan. 23, at 7 p.m.