Trojan Comebacks Fall Short In Three-Set Loss At No. 15 IPFW

Trojan Comebacks Fall Short In Three-Set Loss At No. 15 IPFW

University of Mount Olive rallied from eight points down in the third set to take a late two-point lead, but Division I and nationally 15th-ranked IPFW came back to close out the set and defeat the Trojans 25-23, 25-13, 25-23 in non-conference men's volleyball Friday at Fort Wayne, Ind. Angel Dache led the Trojans with 10 kills.

Mount Olive (7-8) trailed 16-8 in the third set, but Dache and Steven Cruse recorded kills and the Trojans capitalized on three IPFW errors to score five unanswered points. After a Mastodon side out, kills by Dache and Renzo Rossato triggered a run of three straight points to pull the Trojans within 17-16.

Mount Olive answered an IPFW side out with a kill by Lewis Einarson and the Trojans tied the 18-18 on a Mastodon set error. After the teams traded side outs, Dache's kill broke a 20-20 tie and Rossato and Mike Mann followed with a block. Another kill by Dache answered a Mastodon side out, but IPFW (9-3) came back to win the final four points of the set and secure the match victory.

The Trojans also made a late comeback in the opening set, cutting a 19-14 deficit down to a single point. Kills by Einarson, Dache and Cruse helped the Trojans trim the margin to 22-20. The two teams exchanged side outs, and then another kill by Einarson pulled Mount Olive within 23-22. After the Trojans missed an opportunity to tie with a service error, Einarson recorded his third kill in a span of seven points to save a set point. But IPFW held on to take a one-set lead.

Kills by Cruse and Garrett Dimm helped Mount Olive take a 3-2 lead in the second set, but a 9-1 run put IPFW ahead to stay. The margin grew to double figures at 16-6 and remained in double digits the rest of the set.

Cruse finished with nine kills, while Quaid Marin recorded 26 assists and a solo block. Keaton Marin shared match-high honors with nine digs.

Jeremy Swartz led all players with 12 kills for IPFW (Indiana University of Purdue University at Fort Wayne).

Mount Olive concludes its Spring Break trip to the Hoosier Saturday as the Trojans head to Muncie, Ind., to take on Division I Ball State. Match time is 7:30 p.m.