ROLLA, MO -- Missouri S&T lost a five-setter to the Quincy Hawks on Thursday night despite career performances from both
Zachary Carff (O'Fallon, Mo./St. Dominic) and
Aaron Sallade (Palatine, Ill./William Fremd). The Miners were up two sets to zero before falling 26-24, 25-20, 22-25, 19-25, 10-15.
Set 1
A few early attack errors by Quincy helped the Miners take a 5-3 in the opening points, before a 3-0 run by the Hawks put them ahead 9-7. Kills by
Aaron Sallade (Palatine, Ill./William Fremd),
Nate Meyer (Arlington Heights, Ill./Hersey), and
Tyler Johnwick (Lombard, IL/Glenbard East) in the following points would help the Miners keep the set close, but the Hawks were able to go up by four points at 16-12. However, a 5-1 S&T run would put the Miners back in the lead at 21-20. The teams traded points at the end of the set, with the Miners prevailing on a double block from Johnwick and
Zachary Carff (O'Fallon, Mo./St. Dominic) to take the set 26-24.
Set 2
The Hawks dominated the start of the second set, taking six points in a row. Carff,
Caleb Rohlwing (Barrington, Ill./Barrington), and
Grant Edmonds (Huntington Beach, CA/Edison) all contributed kills in response to Quincy's opening run, helping cut the deficit to three at 8-5. The Hawks would rebuild their lead to six again at 12-6, before a 6-2 S&T run put the Miners just two points behind the visitors at 14-12. An 8-0 run by the Miners late in the set would give them a 23-18 lead, giving them enough room to put away the set on a Johnwick kill at 25-20.
Set 3
Neither team led by more than two early in the third, leading to a one-point S&T lead at 13-12. The Miners took the next four points after a couple of kills from Carff were followed by a Sallade ace and another Johnwick kill. Down four, the Hawks responded with a run of their own, taking the next five points to tie the set at 17-17. The Miners went ahead 20-18 in the next four points, but Quincy would not go away, taking seven of the last nine points to win the set 25-22.
Set 4
Sallade orchestrated a 3-0 early in the set, recording two kills and a double block with Rohlwing to give the Miners the lead early at 4-1. A pair of QU service aces would help the visitor claim four of the next five though, tying the set at 5-5. The Hawks would use a couple of 4-0 runs to go ahead by seven at 16-9, giving them a comfortable lead that they would hold to win the set despite a late 4-1 run by the Miners.
Set 5
Two kills from Carff early in the decisive fifth set helped the Miners keep the score tied at 3-3. The teams traded points most of the way through the start of the set, bringing the score to 10-10 after yet another kill from Carff. A 5-0 run featuring four pivotal kills would give the Hawks the set at 15-10 and complete the comeback victory.
Notable Performances
- Carff: Recorded a career-high 14 kills on 35 attempts and tied his career-high for block assist in a match with three.
- Double-Double duo: Both Meyer and Sallade recorded double-doubles, with Meyer getting 16 kills and 10 digs, while Sallade had team highs of 17 kills and 15 assists, the latter of which is also a career-high for the junior outside.
What's Next
The Miners will host the 2025 Miner Volleyball Classic this week and are slated or matches against Rockhurst on Friday and Roosevelt on Saturday.
