SOUTHFIELD, Mich. -- The Trine University men's volleyball team came up just short of forcing a fifth set falling to their hosts from Lawrence Tech by the three sets to one.
The Blue Devils started the contest on a roll outscoring the visiting Thunder by early in the first set and building a 10-2 lead forcing a timeout. The team readjusted during the break and went on a run of their own, cutting the lead to four at 19-15 forcing a Lawrence Tech timeout. The two teams would trade points over the final portion of the set, with Trine falling a bit more behind and dropping the set 25-19.
The Thunder started the second set on a run of their own, building a 9-3 lead and then a 15-8 lead. The two stretches of success forced the Blue Devils to use both of their timeouts, but neither worked and Trine continued to pull ahead building their largest lead of the set at 23-12. A final run from the opposition put the team on their back heel but the eventually finished off the win at 25-19.
The opening of the third set saw the home team score the first four points before the Thunder scored three straight of their own. Another four-point run from Trine gave the team its first lead of the set 11-10 forcing a timeout from the opposition. It looked like a failed attempt to break up the rythym when the two teams traded points, but Lawrence Tech did begin a run of their own that lasted right through to the end giving them the 25-16 victory.
The home team took another early lead in the fourth set at 6-3 with the responding by cutting the lead back to one at 6-5. They would hang close through the rest of the staying within four for the rest of the set and eventually cutting th lead to 23-22 again, before dropping the final two points of the match to fall 25-22 in the set and 3-1 in the match.
A pair of student-athletes led the way offensively for Trine reaching double digit kill totals in the match. Sophomore Ted Hofmeister (Powell, Ohio / Saint Charles) finished with 11 kills as the team high while freshman Carter Steffgen (Lockport, Ill. / Lockport Township) came in second with ten.
Steffgen also led the way with six service aces becoming the program's single match recordholder in the category during the team's time in the NCAA.
Freshman Ryan McDonald (New Lenox, Ill. / Lincoln Way West) finished with team highs in both assists with 34 and digs with ten while sophomore Matt Stillman (Mokena, Ill. / Lincoln Way Central) finished with three total blocks to lead the team.