Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 DE PERE & PLYMOUTH (3-24)
– UC Santa Cruz returned to the Midwest for the second time this season, barnstorming through the "quiet charms of eastern Wisconsin" as they took on St. Norbert College in De Pere and Lakeland University in Plymouth. The Banana Slugs swept the Green Knights 3-0 in their early match and swept the Muskies 3-0 in the evening match.
Match #1 – at St. Norbert College
In the first set, the Banana Slugs would start on a 7-1 run capped by an assisted block by
Phillip Grote and
Trevor Jackson. The Green Knights came as close as four, at 8-4, on a service ace before the Banana Slugs would expand their lead to double digits, at 19-9, on a kill by Grote and winning the first set 25-15. In the second set, the Banana Slugs opened on a 13-7 run capped by a Grote kill. The Green Knights would come within two points at 19-17. However, the Banana Slugs closed on a 6-2 run to win the second set 25-19. In the third set, the set was played at a back-and-forth pace with neither team gaining more than a two-point lead. After the Green Knights tied the set 23-all on a kill by Morgan Wilson, the Banana Slugs scored the final two points of the set on a
Dylan Foreman kill and an assisted block by Foreman and Jackson – to win the third set 25-23 and take the match.
Grote led the Banana Slugs with ten kills.
Match #2 vs. Lakeland University
In the first set, the Banana Slugs started on a 4-0 run capped by a
Colton Jeffrey service ace. The Muskies pulled to within one, at 8-7, on a Levi Everts kill. The Banana Slugs would then answer with a 10-5 run to expand their lead to six at 18-12. The Banana Slugs won the first set 25-19.
The Banana Slugs started the second set on a 12-3 run capped by
Chicory Roth's service ace and would gain their largest lead of the set at ten at set point on a
Zachary Thompson kill to win 25-15. In the third set, the Banana Slugs started on a 17-11 run capped by a
Nico Espinosa kill. The Banana Slugs would win the third set 25-18 and the match 3-0.
Aaron Fox had eleven kills and four blocks to lead the Banana Slugs, who hit .402 in the match.
The Banana Slugs will play two matches tomorrow in River Falls, Illinois as they take on Concordia University Chicago and Division III second-ranked Dominican University (IL). First serve against Concordia is at 1 pm Pacific and first serve against Dominican is set for 5 pm.
