ANGOLA, Ind. – The Trine University men's volleyball team lost in a Midwest Collegiate Volleyball League (MCVL) contest 3-1 to the visiting Mount St. Joseph University on Friday night.
The Thunder (9-12, 1-3 MCVL) staved off defeat down two sets to one with a 30-28 win in the third, but it was not enough to roar all the way back for the victory as the Lions (10-8, 4-3 MCVL) sealed the match with a set four triumph.
Kevin Boncaro [Rochester, N.Y. / Rush Henrietta] was the focal point offensively in the early goings as Trine took a 10-8 lead on his service ace. A run by Mount St. Joseph led to a Thunder timeout trailing 18-15. Kyle Dixon [Lockport, Ill. / Lockport Township] provided momentum for a 3-0 run following a kill, but seven of the next ten points belonged to the Lions in a 25-21 set win.
Mount St. Joseph scored eight of the first ten points in set number two to take a commanding advantage, however three kills by Matt Stillman [Mokena, Ill. / Lincoln Way Central] in the midst of a 5-0 run allowed the Thunder to bring it to within one. Ethan Howard [South Whitley, Ind. / Witko] rose up for a kill to tie the match up at 10 a few moments later.
The duo of Stillman and Howard continued to work magic for Trine as they jumped out to a 21-18 edge, but a big rally by the Lions would suck the life out of Hershey Hall as the visitors went on to win 25-23 in the second.
The long-winded third set saw Mount St. Joseph take a slight lead early and maintain it throughout the middle stages of the set. A kill by Carter Steffgen [Lockport, Ill. / Lockport Township] gave the Thunder their first lead of the third at 16-15 to force the Lions into a timeout.
When it looked as though their backs were against the wall, Trine called upon Ted Hofmeister [Powell, Ohio / Saint Charles] and late substitutes Daniel Boren [Fort Wayne, Ind. / Homestead] and Sam Buckingham [Saginaw, Mich. / Nouvel Catholic Central] for offense. With the score tied at 28, the Thunder accumulated back-to-back points off of Mount St. Joseph errors to win the third, 30-28.
The Lions would put the match to rest in the fourth with a wire-to-wire victory, 25-20. Buckingham led the way with three kills in the fourth set alone.
Stillman was the kills leader for Trine with 13, a value that tied his career-best. He also had two solo blocks and chipped in on two block assists. In the back row, Hunter Haas [Cincinnati, Ohio / Bishop Moeller] had 18 digs, the only Thunder player in double figures.
Trine is slated to face Wittenberg University on Saturday, March 26 at 4 pm.
