ROLLA, MO -- Missouri S&T lost a three-set match against Park University last night in their home opener. The match was a close one, with every set being decided by just two points.
Set 1
Neither team led by more than two points in the opening set, with Park taking the first two of the set. Zachary Carff (O'Fallon, Mo./St. Dominic) and Tyler Johnwick (Lombard, IL/Glenbard East) contributed early, each recording a kill and combining for a double block in the first eight points.
Nate Meyer (Arlington Heights, Ill./Hersey) would pick up the next three points for S&T, finding the floor for three kills in six plays. Down 24-22, Meyer would pick up his seventh kill of set one to save set point, but Park's Veljko Stojic put away the next rally with a kill to end the set 25-23 in the Pirates' favor.
Set 2
Early in the set, kills from Meyer and Caleb Rohlwing (Barrington, Ill./Barrington), along with an ace by Grant Edmonds (Huntington Beach, CA/Edison), pushed the Miners to their largest lead of the match at 10-7. However, Park's Leonardo Maldonado would pick up a trio of kills to spark a 4-1 run for the visiting team, tying the set at 11-11.
Maldonado would be the catalyst for another significant run late in the set, helping the Pirates take four points in a row to go up 21-16. S&T would immediately answer though, taking five of the next six points to tie the set at 22-22. A pair of attack errors in the final points would cut the Miners' comeback short though and give the Pirates set two 26-24.
Set 3
The visitors took control early in the third set, going up on the Miners by nine points at 19-10. S&T started their comeback with three blocks in a row, with Johnwick, Meyer, and Erik Giezycki (Vernon Hills, IL/Vernon Hills) all contributing to help cut the Pirates' lead to five.
The Miners would outscore Park 9-4 in the ensuing rallies, tying the game at 23-23 off a kill by Rohlwing. Much like the second set though, the Pirates would claim two points in a row at 24-all to take the set 26-24 and complete the sweep in Gibson.
Notable Performances
- Meyer: Led the team in kills and points with 13 and 15, respectively.
- Johnwick: Picked up 6 block assists, a career high for him, as the Miners tied their season high for total blocks with nine.
What's Next?
The Miners host Central State on Saturday at 3 p.m. in Gibson Arena.
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