MEQUON, Wis. -- North Park Men's Volleyball got back in the win column on Tuesday night, earning a 3-1 road win (25-20, 25-19, 20-25, 25-17) over Concordia (WI). Junior outside hitter Ty Ingrao led all players with 16 kills in his return to the court.
The Vikings raced out to a four-point advantage in the opening set thanks to an ace by sophomore outside hitter Gerald Malana and a pair of kills from senior middle blocker Sam Robinson. Concordia never let the set get too far away early on, closing the gap to one point at 15-14, but kills by junior middle blocker Jonah Johnsamson and a pair of Falcon attacking errors gave NPU a four-point cushion.
North Park went on a 10-5 scoring run, capped off by an ace from fifth-year libero Noa Chanthalangsy and kill by Robinson to take the first set, 25-20.
The Vikings were not quite as potent in the second set, attacking at just a .156 clip thanks to three blocks from the Falcons, but managed the 25-19 win regardless. Malana had a pair of aces in the set while he, fifth-year setter Teddy Gedville, Robinson, Ingrao, and sophomore outside hitter Braedon Lenon all had two kills.
Despite posting their highest kills total of the evening (17) in the third set, including seven by Ingrao, four NPU service errors and four Concordia blocks led the Falcons to a 25-20 victory. That third set featured nine tie scores and four lead changes, including a 4-1 scoring run for Concordia at the end of the set.
However, North Park locked in for the final set of the match.
A leadoff kill for Lenon, Falcon attack error, and consecutive aces for Gedville put the Vikings up 4-0 and that comfortable lead never faltered. North Park hit a match high .391 in the set and added 14 kills - four each from Malana and Ingrao. Gedville added a solo block, North Park's only one of the match, and a pair of aces to secure the four-set victory.
Quick Hits:
- Ingrao with 16 kills, Malana in double figures with 11
- Senior setter Liam Miller was the top setter of the night with 19 assists and six digs
- Three aces for Malana, two each for Miller, Johnsamson, and Gedville
- Lenon was rock steady with a team leading .357 hitting percentage
- North Park navigates a dozen blocks by the Falcons
- Concordia's Owen Kolozsy and Tate Miller each had seven kills
Historical Notes
- Ingrao's 16 kills is tied for 9th-most all-time in a four-set match. Malana's 3 aces ties for 8th-most in a four-set match
- The 51 team kills is 8th-most in program history in four-set matches
- 46 assists is tied for 9th-most in a four-set match, and the 9 team aces is tied for 5th-most all-time in a four-set match
- First time that NPU has beaten CUW in four matchups
What's Next?
North Park (2-1) stays in the Chicago area with a short trip to River Forest this coming Friday, Jan. 24. The Vikings take on the #17-ranked Dominican University Stars inside Igini Sports Forum at 7:00 PM CT.
