URBANA, Ohio – Urbana men's volleyball returned to the Grimes Center for its first home action in 25 days as the Blue Knights hosted Sunday's tri-match against Daemen College (NY) and Lincoln Memorial University (TN).
Urbana fell 3-1 to Daemen in the opening match, 25-17, 25-19, 23-25 & 25-14, before coming up short in the finale against Lincoln Memorial, 25-14, 25-19 & 25-19.
In the first match, the Blue Knights hit under .100 in each of the three sets it lost but registered a .423 hitting percentage in the third to avoid a sweep. Daemen posted an overall team hitting percentage of .505 during the contest.
Freshman
Tyler Chavez recorded a career-high 17 points in the Daemen match, leading the way with a new personal-best 15 kills, an ace and block solo. He also tied junior setter
Chaz Hafer (30 assists, 4 kills) and junior libero
Tomas Beralas with a team-high six digs.
Freshman
Jack Brinkman had 10.5 points (9 kills, 1 ace, 1 block assist) while sophomore
Preston Kent registered a career-best nine points (6 kills, 1 block solo, 2 block assists, 1 ace). Additionally,
Matt Wheeler logged a career-best five aces and three kills to finish with a personal-best eight points.
Zach Schneider led the Wildcats with 19 kills and seven digs. Jahari Winfield produced 11 kills and nine blocks (one solo).
In the second match of the day, Urbana only held a lead on four serves against Lincoln Memorial.
The Railsplitters coasted through the opening set while holding the Blue Knights to a zero hitting percentage.
Urbana responded by gaining the lead twice in the early stages of the second set as a kill by Kent put UU ahead 4-3. LMU would gain control and moved ahead by as much as seven until the Blue Knights made a late run. Back-to-back aces from Brinkman late in the frame got the Blue Knights within a point, 19-18.
But, LMU slammed the door shut on the comeback with a 7-1 sprint to the finish line with a final score of 25-19.
Urbana would hang around again in the final set as another Brinkman ace cut the LMU lead to four at 18-14, but that was as close as UU could get.
Chavez (9 kills) and Brinkman (6 kills, 3 aces) led the way with nine points, apiece. Kent and
Liam Morrissey each tallied four points on four kills while Hafer finished with 24 assists from his setter position. Beralas and Chavez tied for a team-high six digs.
The 'Splitters hit .308 overall in team hitting percentage and had seven blocks. The Blue Knights hit just .067 with 21 attack errors.
Urbana (0-14) remains winless in the program's first season.
In the neutral site match, Daemen (6-3) stunned defending IVA champion Lincoln Memorial (6-4) in five sets after trailing 2-0 in the match, 15-25, 19-25, 25-23, 25-23 & 18-16.
UP NEXT: Urbana will have a week off before traveling to Alderson Broaddus next Sunday, Feb. 9. First serve in Philippi, West Virginia is scheduled for noon ET.
