ROCKFORD, Ill. - The Rockford University men's volleyball team dropped a close match 3-2 with the Lakeland University Muskies in a Saturday afternoon senior day showdown. This match was a battle, with each team trading sets all the way to a five-set affair. The Regents were able to take the first set, capped off by a 14-7 run, resulting in a 25-18 set win for Rockford. The Muskies were able to turn it right around, winning the next two sets closely 25-19 and 25-23, putting themselves up 2-1 in the match. Needing to win the next set to keep the game going, Rockford did exactly that, taking the fourth set 25-21, forcing a fifth and final set. Unfortunately, the Muskies were able to heat up at the right time, grabbing the fifth set 15-5, ultimately allowing them to walk away with the win.
- Lakeland got out to a slight 8-6 lead to start the first set.
- The Regents were able to stay close to a 13-10 Lakeland lead, until Rockford went on a 5-0 run to grab the lead 15-13, with a kill from Connor McNear during this stretch.
- The Muskies quickly tied it up at 15-15, but Rockford was able to muster up a big 10-3 run to close out the set, with two kills by Isaiah Dixon, two aces each from Connor McNear and Josh Albers and a kill by Danny Karpenko to cap the set and give the Regents the 1-0 match lead.
- Lakeland again got out to a lead to start the set, this time 9-5.
- Rockford was able to battle its way back into the set with a slight 8-6 run to make it a 15-13 score.
- The Muskies were able to retake control and go on a 10-6 run to close the set out and tie the match up at 1-1.
- Rockford was able to get out to an 8-5 lead to start the third set.
- This set remained tight the entire way, with neither team grabbing more than a two-point lead the rest of the set, with the score finding its way to a 21-21 deadlock.
- The Muskies were able to finish the set on a 4-2 run, taking the third set 25-23 and putting them ahead 2-1 in the match.
- The Muskies quickly grabbed an 8-4 lead to start the fourth set, but Rockford responded with five-straight points capped off by a kill from Nathan Simons to grab the 9-8 lead.
- The Regents were able to put together an 11-7 run to take a 20-15 lead and Rockford was able to hold on and take the fourth set, 25-21, to force a fifth set.
- Lakeland quickly got out to a 6-0 lead to start the final set and they never looked back, taking the fifth set 15-5 and winning the match 3-2.
- Isaiah Dixon provided a team-high 13 kills, also grabbing 2 digs and a block.
- Nathan Vana put up 11 kills on a .444 hitting percentage and he also picked up 1 dig and 1 block.
- Josh Albers put together 21 assists, 10 digs, 2 aces and 4 kills.
