ROCKFORD, Ill. - The Rockford University men's volleyball team fell 3-0 (25-19, 25-16, 25-17) at home on Tuesday night to the MSOE Raiders. All three sets were close early on, but the Raiders used large runs in each of the three, 7-1, 6-0 and 9-3, to eventually pull away. The loss drops Rockford to 0-4 all-time against MSOE and moves the Regents to 1-2 in NACC play this season.
- Nathan Vana opened the match with a kill, but MSOE proceeded to score five of the next six points to take a 5-2 lead.
- There were then five ties and two lead changes until the Raiders retook a three-point lead at 15-12.
- After Rockford took advantage of three straight MSOE errors and tied the set at 16-16, the Raiders closed on a 9-3 run to win the opening set 25-19 and take a 1-0 lead.
- MSOE scored the first three points of the second set to once again take an early lead.
- However, Rockford was able to battle back and tie the score at 5 and again at 6, following kills by Isaiah Dixon and Da'Quan Bates.
- Unfortunately, MSOE promptly went on a 6-0 run to take control of the set.
- The back and forth nature of the match continued with Rockford scoring the next four points to pull within two. Connor McNear led the charge with a pair of blocks and a kill.
- However, the Raiders were able to methodically build their lead up to as many as nine points en route to winning the second set 25-16.
- Joaquin Santillan scored Rockford's first two points of the third set to help the Regents open up a 5-3 advantage.
- With the Regents now holding a 6-4 lead, MSOE used a 9-3 spurt to take the largest lead in the set thus far for either team at 13-9.
- Rockford was able to cut the deficit back down to two on a couple of occasions, but MSOE salted the set away with 7-1 run and leapt out to a 22-14 lead.
- The Regents never got any closer than six, dropping the third set 25-17 and the match 3-0.
