SYLVANIA, Ohio – The No. 11-ranked Indiana Tech men's volleyball team punched its way closer to another conference title Friday evening as they defeated No. 14-ranked Siena Heights University 3-1 (15-25, 31-29, 25-20, 25-19) in the semifinals of the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC) Tournament inside the Russell J. Ebeid Recreation Center.
How It Happened
- The first set was a tight contest though the first 19 serves with Tech holding a 10-9 lead, but a 11-0 run from the Saints put them up 20-10 and the game out of reach as Siena Heights took the 1-0 lead.
- The second set featured 12 ties and seven lead changes in addition to 12 bonus points in the marathon game. Following a timeout by the Saints with the Warriors leading 17-11, SHU went on a 5-0 run to cut the deficit to 17-16. Tech pushed the lead up to 24-22, but the Saints won the next three points to get to set point and the chance to go up 2-0, but a kill from Mason Milan knotted the set up at 25-25.
- The Warriors finally captured the second set thanks to a 3-0 run with a kill from Chase Christiansen, a double block from Christiansen and Brandon Jones and a kill from Jones to tie the match up at 1-1.
- The Orange and Black came out swinging in the third with 16 kills and a .316 hitting percentage and held a 18-13 lead. Siena Heights cut the deficit to 20-18, but couldn't get any closer as the Warriors took the 2-1 lead.
- The hot swinging continued for Tech in the fourth as they hit .400 with 19 kills and led for all but eight serves during the final set. Leading 19-17, the Warriors finished the match on a 6-2 run to complete the comeback.
Inside the Box Score
Tech (16-4) will face off with No. 9-ranked Lourdes University in the WHAC Tournament Championship Saturday at 1 p.m. from the Ebeid Recreation Center. The winner of the match will get the WHAC's automatic bid to the NAIA National Championship.
