ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – The Adrian College men's volleyball team defeated Augustana College (Ill.) in five sets in Midwest Collegiate Volleyball League (MCVL) action on Friday, March 15. The win pushes the Bulldogs to 2-0 in MCVL play this year. Junior libero Kevin Curley had a standout defensive performace, setting a new program-record for digs in a match with 29.

THE BASICS

Final Score: Adrian 3, Augustana 2 (25-23, 25-23, 22-25, 23-25, 15-13)

Location: Rock Island, Ill. (Roy J. Carver Physical Education Center)

Records: AC 13-9 (2-0 MCVL), Augustana 8-11 (2-1 MCVL)

HOW IT HAPPENED

The match started dead even, with neither team able to pull away. Adrian trailed in the middle part of the set but took the lead with a seven-point run, forcing Augustana to call timeout with the score 19-15 in AC's favor. The Bulldogs were within two points of ending the set, up 23-19 but the Vikings didn't make it easy, coming back to make it 24-23 before the Black and Gold won the last point they needed on a kill from senior Mike Gold to take the set 25-23.

Adrian took the second set by the same score, 25-23 to take a 2-0 lead in the match. It was a closely contested set once again, with neither team opening a large lead. The Bulldogs started to pull away towards the end, forcing Augustana to take both of its timeouts. They didn't help the Vikings as a kill from freshman Peyton Doelling on a free ball gave the Bulldogs the set, 25-23.

Augustana flipped the script in the third set and led almost the entire way, taking the set 25-22. AC then controlled the beginning of the fourth set and looked like it would end the match then, but the Vikings fought back and were able to take the set, 25-23 to force a fifth set. The fifth set was just as contested as the first four, with Adrian leading the whole way but not in decisive fashion. The Black and Gold wouldn't need a large lead to win the match however, finishing Augustana off with a kill from junior Noah Marcinkowski to end the match.

TOP DOGS

• Marcinkowski led Adrian's offense with 19 kills. Joining him with double digit kills were Gold and freshman Tedrick Gula.

• Junior Joseph Campana set up 47 points in the match.

• Curley set a program record with 29 digs in the match. Doelling and senior Michael Burkhardt led the net-front defense, each playing a role in five blocks with a solo block each.

THE OPPOSITION

• Luis Zavala and Justin Murphy led Augustana with 14 and 13 kills, respectively.

• Sanchit Khaitan had 49 assists.

• Matthew Schiferl led the Vikings' defense with 16 digs and Zavala had his hand in seven blocks.

UP NEXT

Adrian plays two games tomorrow at Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa. The Bulldogs play the Duhawks in MCVL action at 1 p.m. ET before facing North Park right after at 1 p.m. ET.

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