DUBUQUE, Iowa --
The North Park men's volleyball team was defeated 3-1 by #15 Loras on Sunday afternoon, moving to 3-6 in CCIW play. On the season as a whole, North Park now sits 1 game over .500 at 11-10.
Loras managed to take the first set of today's matchup, but the Vikings responded with a 25-21 victory in the second. Two immediate kills from Quinn Robinson established an early lead that the Vikings controlled for the set's entirety. Robinson, Erik Bullard, and Emmanuel Eugene combined for nearly all of the Vikings' earned points with the help of setter Teddy Gedville. Meanwhile, Loras struggled with 9 errors along with a service error which secured the Vikings their 25th point.
Those two opening sets saw the Vikings average a solid .250% hit percentage, but that efficiency would unfortunately falter and contribute to a lopsided third set that ended with a 25-15 Eagles victory. The fourth was much more competitive, coming down to the wire after the Vikings recovered from a 19-14 deficit. Teddy Gedville sparked the comeback with an ace, and Ty Ingrao, Bullard, and Eugene preserved it with critical kills to eventually bring the Vikings within one point at a score of 23-22. The unshakeable Eagles showcased their poise though and closed things up fittingly with an ace from Patrick Mahoney. That marked the 10th ace of the game for Loras, which is the second-most of any Vikings opponent this season.
Emmanuel Eugene and Quinn Robinson were standout performers for the Vikings today, both registering 12 kills with just 2 errors along with 2 blocks. The team lead in digs also went to Eugene with 16, encapsulating an excellent performance both offensively and defensively for the star sophomore. Teddy Gedville's 36 assists and 2 aces were both team-highs as well, with the latter tying the setter's season-high.
The Vikings' next take the court on Wednesday the 23rd as part of a three-team matchup at North Park Gymnasium. North Park will first host Marian University at 2:00 PM before taking on California Lutheran at 7:00, with the two visiting sides playing in-between at 4:30.
