ST. CHARLES, MO -- Missouri S&T Men's Volleyball faced a difficult road test on Saturday, facing #18 Lindenwood on the road. The Miners lost in four sets but didn't make it easy on the Lions, taking the first set 25-23 and forcing Lindenwood to extra points in the final frame.
The Miners played one of their best sets of the in the opening frame, hitting .520 (their third-highest in a set this season) with 14 kills and just 1 error. S&T and Lindenwood traded points early in the set, but a trio of errors by the Lions along with a
Nate Meyer (Arlington Heights, Ill./Hersey) kill put the Miners ahead 10-7. Two kills and a double block by Lindenwood cut the Miners' lead to just one point later in the set at 16-15 before pulling even at 20-20. The Miners maintained their composure in the final points of the set, getting kills from Meyer,
Aaron Sallade (Palatine, Ill./William Fremd), and
Tyler Johnwick (Lombard, IL/Glenbard East) to take the set 25-23.
The Lions nabbed a sizable lead early in set two, scoring six in a row to go up 9-4. The Miners were forced to work from behind the rest of the set, steadily cutting into Lindenwood's lead in the ensuing points. A kill by
Camden Seaver (Palatine, IL/William Fremd) followed by a
Caleb Rohlwing (Barrington, Ill./Barrington) ace would cut the Lions' lead to just one point at 16-15, but the host team quickly pulled ahead again with a 4-1 run. The teams traded points through the end of the set, giving Lindenwood the second frame 25-21.
Having found their rhythm in the second set, Lindenwood built on that momentum in the third, stringing together scoring runs to move ahead 21-11. S&T put together a 6-2 run late that featured an ace from
Aris Maurukas (Lisle, IL/Benet Academy) and a double block by Sallade and Johnwick, but it wouldn't be enough to overcome the deficit as Lindenwood took the set 25-18.
Much like the previous two sets, the Lions grabbed an early lead, this time going up 11-7. The Miners responded well, putting together a 9-1 scoring run to take a 16-12 advantage. The Miners' four-point lead shrunk to one late in the set after three consecutive kills by the Lions before moving ahead 21-20. In the final points of the set, the Miners looked to have given themselves set point after winning a rallly, but a challenge by Lindenwood overturned the point and have them the momentum to close the set and match at 26-24.
Sallade led the Miners in kills with 16 and tied with
Bartosz Chmielewski (Aurora, IL/Metea Valley) for the most digs with 6. Rohlwing continued his dominance at the net, recording 3 block assists.
What's Next
The Miners conclude their 8-match road stretch with a contest against Park on Wednesday.
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