Men’s Volleyball Splits with Stritch, CCSJ

February 20, 2018Posted in: Athletics

The Illinois Tech Men’s Volleyball team hosted a tri-match on February 17, with both of the team’s matches going three sets. Illinois Tech fell 3-0 to Cardinal Stritch, the seventh-ranked team in NAIA, before downing Calumet College of St. Joseph 3-0.

Scores

  • Stritch 3, Illinois Tech 0 (20-25, 18-25, 20-25)
  • Illinois Tech 3, CCSJ 0 (25-10, 25-17, 25-21)

How it Happened – Stritch Match

  • The Scarlet Hawks came out of the gate slow in the first set, with the Wolves scoring eight of the match’s first nine points. While Illinois Tech rallied late, Cardinal Stritch managed to hang on and win despite hitting a subpar .037% in the first set.
  • The Wolves offense awoke in set two, as the visitors hit .385% and amassed 13 kills to overpower the Hawks.
  • Illinois Tech stayed close throughout in the third set and found an offensive rhythm, hitting .273%. However, the Wolves offense continued to impress as well, hitting an astounding .444% en route to sweeping for the win.

Scarlet Hawk Standouts – Stritch Match

  • Cinjun Coe had 10 kills, two aces, and six digs, leading Illinois Tech in all three categories.
  • Derek Bostick and Ben Peschl also had six digs and Peschl tallied 25 assists.
  • Lukasz Kupiec was impressive with nine kills and a team-high .381 hit percentage.
  • Andriy Bench amassed eight kills.

Stats to Know – Stritch Match

  • Illinois Tech was outhit .287% to .134%.
  • Blocks were a big difference in the match, as the Wolves outdid the Hawks 6-2.
  • The Scarlet Hawks totaled 97 attack attempts compared to Stritch’s 80.

How it Happened – CCSJ Match

  • The first set was a perfect combination of offense and defense for the Scarlet Hawks. Illinois Tech hit .370% while holding the Crimson Wave to just -.111% en route to a dominant win.
  • In set two, the Crimson Wave began to figure things out offensively, allowing the team to hang with the Hawks early on. But the Scarlet Hawks hit an astounding .500% to outdo the Wave.
  • The Scarlet Hawks and Wave played close throughout the third set, as 10 Illinois Tech attack errors allowed the Wave to build momentum. Towards the end of the set, the Scarlet Hawks hit a groove and pulled away for the victory.

Scarlet Hawk Standouts – CCSJ Match

  • Easton Kays was dominant, tallying 11 kills and .786% to lead the Scarlet Hawks in both categories.
  • Bench (10 kills, .533%) and Evan Robeck (eight kills, three aces, .467%) also impressed on the attack.
  • Peschl had 37 assists.
  • Bostick led with 14 digs.

Stats to Know – CCSJ Match

  • Illinois Tech outhit the Wave .322% to .060% and recorded 43 kills compared to CCSJ’s 22.
  • Digs were in favor of Illinois Tech 40-28.
  • The Scarlet Hawks had eight aces. The Crimson Wave tallied four.

Up Next

  • Illinois Tech will face Loras College on Friday, February 23 at 7 p.m. Loras downed the Scarlet Hawks 3-1 on February 2 in a match featuring the second-longest set in NCAA Division III men’s volleyball history (44-42). If available, live links will be added to the men’s volleyball schedule page.
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