Banana Slugs Split Doubleheader in Illinois

Friday, March 25

River Forest, IL

1:00 PM Pacific

UC Santa Cruz Athletics

9-13,0-0DIII Independent

Concordia Univ. Chicago

6-16,5-4NACC

UC Santa Cruz

Concordia Chicago

3/25/2022 7:43:00 PM | Men's Volleyball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

RIVER FOREST (3-25) – Continuing their six-match trip to the Midwest, UC Santa Cruz swept the Concordia University Cougars 3-0 in the afternoon match but lost a heartbreaker 3-2 to the #2 ranked team in the nation Dominican University in the evening match.

Match #1 – vs. Concordia University (IL)

In the first set, the Banana Slugs started the set on a 14-7 run capped by a service ace by Zac Pittard. The Banana Slugs would gain their largest lead of the set at eleven on three occasions; the third occasion at set point on a Colton Jeffrey kill to win 25-14.
In the second set, the two teams would play back and forth for the first eight serves before the Banana Slugs took the lead for good, at 5-4. The Banana Slugs would gain their largest lead at set point on a Pittard kill and would win the second set 25-15.

In the third set, the Banana Slugs took the lead for good at 4-3 on a Cinjun Coe kill. The Banana Slugs would gain their largest lead at set point on a service ace by Pittard. The Banana Slugs would win the third set 25-12.

Jeffrey led the Banana Slugs with nine kills. Ethan Makishima had eight as UC Santa Cruz hit a season-high .462. Chicory Roth had 20 assists.

Match No. 2 vs. #2 Dominican University

The Stars would win the first set 25-19. After the Stars took their largest lead of the second set at 17-15, the Banana Slugs finished the set on a 10-1 run capped by a solo block by Pittard and won the second set 25-18. In the third set, the Banana Slugs would start the set on a 13-5 run. The Stars would pull within four on three occasions; the third occasion at 17-13 on a Molloy kill. The Banana Slugs held on and won the third set 25-23.

In the fourth set, the Stars would start the set on a 16-9 run capped by a Trey Cowan kill and would win the fourth set 25-18. In the fifth set, the Banana Slugs led 6-3 before the Stars would come back and tie the set at 6-6 after a block The Banana Slugs expanded their lead to two at 13-11 after a kill by Aaron Fox. However, after the Banana Slugs took the lead at 14-13 on a Coe kill, the Stars scored the next three points to win the fifth set 16-14.

Fox had 14 kills to lead the Banana Slugs. Pittard added 12 and Coe had 11. Mohan Duvvuri had 41 assists.

The Banana Slugs will wrap up their Midwest trip on Saturday as they will take on Millikin University at 2:30 pm PDT and North Park University at 5 pm PDT.