DUBUQUE, IA – North Park Men's Volleyball opened their College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) play on Saturday afternoon against the #12 Loras College.  The Vikings fell in straight sets (17-25, 14-25, 17-25) to a powerhouse #12 Duhawks squad at the Lillis Athletic and Wellness Center.

The Vikings  looked to establish their presence early, but the Duhawks utilized a high-powered offense to take control.  Giovanni Serafini and Jan Dragan provided the early spark for North Park, each hammering home kills to keep the Vikings within reach at 11-18.  Gino Hamoy kept the defense honest with a service ace that brought the score to 16-24, but Loras closed out the frame 25-17 behind a strong performance from Bo Brainerd III.

In the second set, North Park battled through eight ties and two lead changes. The Vikings held their own early, as Jonah Johnsamson and Gerald Buhain Malana connected for kills to keep the score knotted at 7-7. However, Loras responded with a 10-1 run that proved insurmountable. Despite a late kill from Buhain Malana, the Duhawks took a 2-0 match lead with a 25-14 win.

North Park showed resilience in the final frame, jumping out to an 8-7 lead after a pair of Loras errors and a kill from Josiah Walker.  Walker was perfect in his limited appearance, recording three kills on just three attempts.  David Akeju added two kills late in the set to push the tally to 14-23, and Serafini followed with his match-high sixth kill to keep the match alive. Ultimately, the Duhawks' .452 hitting percentage was too much to overcome as they secured the sweep with another 25-17 victory.

The Vikings' next match will be on Wednesday, February 25th for their conference home opener against #5 North Central.