ADRIAN, Mich. - At the Merillat Sport and Fitness Center, the Adrian men's volleyball team closed its home quad on the high note, coming back to garner a split over their two matches on the day.
Game 1 | Adrian 0, Marian 3 (19-25, 23-25, 17-25)
In the first match on Sunday, the visiting Sabres utilized 25 attack errors by the Bulldogs to ultimately pull away for a three-set sweep.
Despite drawing even with 35 kills each, it was Marian's 0.368 hitting-percentage that proved to the difference against Adrian's 0.101.
The two sides battled out to a 12-12 tie early in the first set before the Sabres rattled off five-straight points to create some separation.
A mini-Bulldog run ignited by a
Brandon Ravelo kill brought the black and gold within two down the stretch, but Marian held on to take a one-set lead.
In the subsequent set, Adrian opened up a 5-1 cushion thanks to five consecutive points. Even with a Sabres' counter, the 'Dogs eventually found themselves on the cusp of tying the match with a 23-21 lead.
However, a 3-0 run by the visiting team squandered the home side's chances of getting back into the contest.
Chase Heuer totaled a team-high 14 kills, while Ravelo closed the match with 36 of Adrian's 37 total assists.
Game 2 | Adrian 3, Olivet 0 (25-23, 25-20, 25-20)
The final match of the weekend was a back-and-forth affair, but when the dust finally settled it was the Bulldogs coming away with their first sweep of the 2022 season.
The locals saw significant improvement in their attack numbers against the Comets, posting a 0.274 hitting percentage to Olivet's 0.072.
Adrian found themselves battling back early in this one, falling behind 8-6. Then a 6-0 run happened, capitalized by a
Gavin Yonker kill to give the Bulldogs a 12-8 lead.
The Comets would not go away quietly, however, muscling back into the frame to grab a narrow 22-21 advantage. The 'Dogs kept their composure, nevertheless, outscoring their opposition 4-1 from that point on to claim the set.
The following set may have felt a little more comfortable for Adrian, despite what the scoreline may show.
After Olivet had pushed a quick 2-1 lead, the black and gold stormed back with a 6-1 stretch and never let the Comets regain the edge.
In the deciding-third frame, The Bulldogs had to work their way out of a 10-7 hole before being able to piece together a winning run.
Things got interesting towards the end, but Adrian managed the match's final three points to secure the victory.
Heuer,
Andrew Gawrisch and
Tedrick Gula were the primary offensive catalysts in Adrian's second match, combining for 29 kills.
"We made too many hitting errors against Marian," noted head coach
Jose Soto. "Against Olivet, however, we took care of the ball. Everybody played well, everyone worked together. We've had some guys playing in not their usual positions, so they've had to make adjustments and it worked out well for us today."
The men's volleyball team is on the road next weekend in Bloomington, Illinois for the Illinois Wesleyan Quad.
