Men’s volleyball starts MCVL play with three-set loss at Mount Union

ALLIANCE, Ohio – The Olivet College men's volleyball team opened Midwest Collegiate Volleyball League play with a three-set loss (25-18, 25-20, 25-23) to University of Mount Union (Ohio) tonight at The McPherson Academic and Athletic Complex.

Final Score: Mount Union def. Olivet 25-18, 25-20, 25-23
Location: The McPherson Academic and Athletic Complex; Alliance, Ohio
Records: Olivet 1-9 overall, 0-1 MCVL; Mount Union 9-1 overall, 1-0 MCVL

• In the first set, the Purple Raiders built a 10-3 lead. The Comets fought back to close the gap to three points, 14-11. Mount Union answered with a 6-2 run to go back up seven points, 20-13. Olivet scored the next three points before the Purple Raiders ended the set on a 5-2 scoring spurt.
• The Comets led by a point three times early in the second set. After the last time at 6-5, Mount Union put the next three points on the scoreboard. Olivet responded with a 4-1 run to take the lead back 10-9. The teams traded 3-0 spurts before the Comets seized a two-point cushion, 16-14. The Purple Raiders came back with four straight points to regain the lead and never looked back.
• Mount Union opened the third set on a 5-0 run. Olivet chipped away at it deficit and trailed by only one point on three occasions, 19-18, 20-19 and 21-20. The Purple Raiders used a kill and Comet attack error to go up three points, 23-20. Olivet scored two of the next three points to make the score 24-23 until Mount Union scored the final point.
• For the match, the Comets totaled 34 kills compared to 31 for the Purple Raiders. The difference in the match was Mount Union had 12 less attack errors.

• Senior Dan Hayes recorded a team-best eight kills.
• Senior Deivan Prince and freshman Aaron Smith each had seven kills.
• Senior Aaron Giorgi topped the team with 29 set assists and eight digs.

• Justin Sibbel slammed down a match-high 12 kills.
• Mark Bruns finished with nine kills.
• Jeremy Leyden had 24 set assists.
• Three players tallied six digs apiece.

• Olivet travels to play Goshen (Ind.) College next Wednesday, Feb. 26, at 7 p.m.