CHICAGO (2-22) – UC Santa Cruz finished up their trip to the Land of Lincoln as they took on Aurora University and Illinois Institute of Technology. The Banana Slugs won 3-1 over the Spartans in the early match and swept the Scarlet Hawks 3-0 in the late match.

Match #1 – vs. Aurora

The Banana Slugs started the first set on a 13-5 run capped by Rowdy Lennon's kill. The Spartans would have a 13-5 run of their own to tie the set at 18-18. The Banana Slugs then scored five of the next seven points to take the lead at 23-20, but the Spartans would score three consecutive points to tie the set at 23-23. The Banana Slugs scored the final two points of the back-and-forth set on a pair Phillip Grote kills to win 25-23 and a 1-0 lead in the match. In the second set, the two teams traded points for the first fourteen serves before UCSC took the lead for good, at 8-7, on a Grote kill. The Banana Slugs largest lead of the set was at 15-10, on an assisted block by Grote and Trevor Jackson. However the Spartans would go on a 12-7 spurt to tie the set at 22-22 and the teams would trade points over the next six serves. The Banana Slugs scored the final two points of the set and won 27-25.

 In the third set, the Spartans started on a 4-0 spurt capped by a Thomas Kovanic kill. The Banana Slugs worked their way back into the set and would take the lead at 10-9 on a service error by the Spartans. After the Banana Slugs gained their largest lead of the set at four, at 20-16, the Spartans went on a 6-0 run to take the lead for good at 22-20 before winning the third set 25-23 and trimmed the Banana Slugs' match lead to 2-1. 

In the fourth set, the Spartans started the set on a 9-5 run. The Banana Slugs would then go on a 12-6 run, capped by an Aaron Fox kill, to take the lead at 17-15. The Spartans answered with a 7-3 spurt to take the lead at 22-20. The Banana Slugs would score six of the final eight points of the set to win the set 26-24 and the match 3-1.

Grote and Lennon led the Banana Slugs with eleven kills apiece.Grote and Jackson each had 5 blocks assists while Lennon had four. Quinn Barrett added a season-high four aces.

Match #2 vs. Illinois Tech

The Banana Slugs opened set one on a 14-8 run and won the first set 25-19.  In the second set, the Banana Slugs started on a 12-6 run, capped by a Lennon kill, and would never relinquish the lead. The Banana Slugs would win the second set 25-17 and took a 2-0 lead in the match. In the third set, the two teams would trade points for the first ten points of the set. The Banana Slugs would then go on a 9-3 run, capped by a Lennon service ace, to take the lead for good at 14-8. The Banana Slugs would gain their largest lead of the set at eight at match point, on a Zachary Thompson kill, to win 25-17 and the match 3-0. 

Lennon had thirteen kills to lead the Banana Slugs. Sam Wittert and Tennessee Fulks each had 17 assists as UCSC hit .405 in the match to IIT's .172.

The next match for the Banana Slugs will be Friday the 28th as they visit Big West Conference member UC San Diego in San Diego. The match will be on ESPN3 and will start at 7 pm.