Men’s Volleyball Drops Four-Set Match at Marian

The Illinois Tech Men’s Volleyball team faced Marian University, a future Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference opponent, on February 14. In what was a competitive match throughout, the Sabres (5-6) downed the Scarlet Hawks (5-8) 3-1.

Scores

  • Marian 3, Illinois Tech 1 (20-25, 21-25, 26-24, 20-25)

How it Happened

  • While Illinois Tech hit to the strong tune of .267% in the first set, Marian logged a .371% to counter. The strong attack allowed the Sabres to pull away late, closing out the set on two kills.
  • In set two, the Scarlet Hawks jumped out to a 4-2 lead before the Sabres went on a 6-1 run. Illinois Tech stayed close, but never regained the lead throughout the set.
  • The third set was the night’s most exiting. After the Sabres went up 1-0, Illinois Tech took the lead and never relinquished it the rest of the way. However, after trailing by as many as six (15-9), Marian climbed back to tie the score at 21-21, 22-22, 23-23, and 24-24, as Marian countered every Illinois Tech point with one of its own. Lukasz Kupiec took over to give the Scarlet Hawks the set win, recording kills for the final two points.
  • Set four went Marian’s way early (7-4), but Illinois Tech quickly regained some control, taking a lead at 14-13 on an Easton Kays kill. But Marian managed to pull back ahead and stave off Illinois Tech for the victory.

Scarlet Hawk Standouts

  • Kays tallied 11 kills, a block assist, and a team-high .444 hit percentage.
  • Cinjun Coe led the team with 19 kills, 11 digs, and a .293 hit percentage.
  • Kupiec added 10 kills of his own.
  • Setter Ben Peschl (28 assists) and libero Derek Bostick (14 digs) led the team in their respective categories.

Stats to Know

  • Marian outhit the Hawks .268% to .209% and had 56 kills compared to Illinois Tech’s 47.
  • Aces (6-2), digs (54-47), and blocks (14-8) were also advantages for Marian.

Up Next

  • The Scarlet Hawks will host a tri-match on Saturday, February 17 with Cardinal Stritch and Calumet College of St. Joseph. Illinois Tech will face Cardinal Stritch at 3 p.m. and CCSJ at 7 p.m. Live audio, video, and stats will be available for all three matches. The live audio will be powered by Illinois Media School.