Viterbo Falls Short at Home

LA CROSSE, Wis. - The Viterbo University Men's Volleyball team took on Olivet Nazarene at R. W. Beggs Sr. Gymnasium on Saturday. The V-Hawks fell to the Tigers 2-3 (12-25, 26-24, 25-22, 20-25, 12-15). The V-Hawks fall to 3-8 overall (1-4 CCAC) while the Tigers rise to 10-3 overall (4-1 CCAC). 

The V-Hawks started off slow in set one trailing 1-8 forcing a Viterbo timeout. Olivet Nazarene stretched their lead scoring another five points back-to-back with two kills by Kahaku Marquez bringing the score to 3-14. The Tigers produced three service errors but it wasn't enough for the V-Hawks to come back from their 7-20 deficit. Jacob Nonn and Jaden Wiest each added a kill towards the end of the game with the score at 10-23. Marquez earned another kill to finish set one 12-25. 

Viterbo got a 3-0 lead to start off set two before four attack errors gave up their lead, 3-4. The teams traded points and a kill by Garran Wilming tied the game at 9-9. Nonn contributed the next three kills for the V-Hawks tieing again at 15-15. Each team scored before a couple errors by the Tigers and a kill by Nonn put Viterbo up 19-18. The game remained close with kill by Alex Kratzenstein tieing the set at 22-22 and a service error by the V-Hawks tieing the game again at 24-24. Back-to-back kills by Nonn and Kou Her ended set two 26-24. 

Viterbo and Olivet Nazarene traded points to start off set three with a Nonn service ace tieing the game at 6-6. A kill by Nonn tied the game again at 10-10 before two kills by Jaiton Kamaunu gave the Tigers a slight lead, 14-18. Each team added a point before the V-Hawks went on a 4-0 run tieing the set at 19-19. Both teams produced service errors tieing again at 20-20. The Tigers added a kill before Viterbo scored the next three points with kills by Nonn and Wiest bringing the V-Hawks in the lead 23-21. Marquez added a kill for the Olivet Nazarene before two kills by Joe Todd ended set three 25-22. 

Set four started off with Viterbo gaining a slight lead before tieing at 6-6. The Tigers took over from their scoring putting up four points in a row forcing a Viterbo timeout at 7-11. Back on the floor, the teams traded points with Her adding two kills for the V-Hawks trailing 10-16. Olivet Nazarene added a service error before the V-Hawks closed the gap with Juan Banda contributing a service ace and Viterbo still trailing 14-17. Thoralf Schmelzer recorded a kill and a service ace for the Tigers stretching their lead 15-20. Two errors by Olivet Nazarene brought the score to 20-23 before a Cade Ooms service ace ended set four 20-25. 

Olivet Nazarene took the lead 4-7 to start off set four with Kamaunu adding two kills. The V-Hawks answered back with Her and Todd each adding a kill tieing at 7-7. Kills by Jake Ostema and Marquez put the Tigers up 9-11. An error by Olivet and a kill by Kratzenstein tied the set at 11-11. A service ace by Ooms brought the Tigers back in the lead 11-13. Kratzenstein added a kill for the V-Hawks before an error by Viterbo and a kill by Ostema gave Olivet Nazarene the win, 12-15.

Nonn led the V-Hawks with 13 kills. Logan Amdur added 16 assists followed by Wiest with 14. Banda recorded 13 digs. 

Kamaunu led the Tigers with 18 kills followed by Marquez with 13. Tomas Gonzalez recorded 56 assists. James Ballance added 19 digs followed by Ooms with 12 digs and 5 service aces.

Viterbo will travel to Edgewood College on Monday, Feb. 20 at 6:00 PM CST.