Men’s Volleyball Earns Split of Matches in Wisconsin

PLYMOUTH, WI – An unusual off-day offensively hampered Wittenberg Men's Volleyball as the Tigers split a pair of matches at Lakeland College (WI) in the Valentine's Day quadrangular at Woltzen Gymnasium on Saturday, Feb. 14.

The Tigers played two matches, winning the first over host team Lakeland College in a tough battle, 3-2, before falling to Wisconsin-Stevens Point, 3-0, in the second. With the split on the day, Wittenberg goes to 9-4 on the season before heading into Midwest Collegiate Volleyball League (MCVL) action next week.

Coming out strong in the first two sets against Lakeland before struggling in sets three and four, Wittenberg came away the victors in a tight five-set match by scores of 25-15, 25-17, 19-25, 23-25, and 16-14. The Tigers turned in a hitting percentage of just .171 and were inconsistent serving with more than 20 errors.

However, Wittenberg made the big plays when they were needed and put on a show defensively with 20 blocks to outlast the Huskies for the win and even the all-time series between the two teams at 3-3. With the loss, Lakeland fell to 5-9 on the season.

Eli Halverson (Hamilton, OH / Badin) and Michael Yurk  (Indianapolis, IN / Bishop Chatard) led the team in kills with 12 each, while Zach Newton (Morgantown, IN / Franklin Community) added 11. Reese Monnin (Xenia, OH / Carroll) and Landon Wood (Louisville, KY / St. Xavier) each had six blocks in the match.

Against Wisconsin-Stevens Point, the Tigers just couldn't get the offense going, hitting.197 for the match and falling in three-straight by set scores of 25-20, 25-17, and 25-19. On the other side of the net, the Pointers hit .400 for the match, with an impressive .571 in set two. Aside from some early ties in all three sets, Stevens Point led most of the way in all three. With the win, the Pointers improved to 5-6 on the season. It was the first all-tme meeting between the two teams.

Team Leaders vs. Lakeland

• Eli Halverson (Hamilton, OH / Badin) and Michael Yurk (Indianapolis, IN / Bishop Chatard) led the team in kills with 12 each, while Zach Newton (Morgantown, IN / Franklin Community) added 11.
• Yurk led the team in digs with 11 and turned in 13 points. Halverson added 14.5 points.
• Newton led the team in service aces with three and in points with 16.
• Reese Monnin (Xenia, OH / Carroll) and Landon Wood (Louisville, KY / St. Xavier) each had a team-high six blocks. Monnin tallied 11 points.
• Gavin Hagerty (Fishers, IN / Fishers) led the team in assists with 26, and Carson Hill (Liberty Township, OH / Lakota East) picked up 16.
• Newton and Patterson Reed (Louisville, KY / St. Xavier) each added four blocks.

Team Comparison vs. Lakeland

• Wittenberg had 51 kills on 140 total attacks for a .171 hitting percentage, along with 48 assists, seven service aces, 60 digs, and 20 blocks.
• Lakeland had 39 kills on 144 total attacks for a .049 hitting percentage, along with 35 assists, six service aces, 50 digs, and 18 blocks.

Team Leaders vs. Wisconsin-Stevens Point

• Halverson led the team in kills with 10, and Yurk added eight. The duo also led in points with 11 and 9, respectively. 
• Hagerty had a team-high nine digs and 19 assists. Hill added 11 assists.
• Reed had two blocks to lead the Tigers. 

Team Comparison vs. Wisconsin-Stevens Point

• Wittenberg finished with 34 kills on 92 total attacks for a .196 hitting percentage. The Tigers also had 34 assists, three service aces, 31 digs, and four blocks.
• Wisconsin-Stevens Point landed 39 kills on 80 total attacks for a .400 hitting percentage. The Pointers also had 38 assists, four service aces, 35 digs, and two blocks.

Up Next

Wittenberg will host Trine on Feb. 20 at 7 p.m. in its first MCVL match of the season.

Written by: Cindy Holbrook