ROCKFORD, Ill. - The Rockford University men's volleyball team split a pair of matches at home on Sunday against Augustana and Olivet. Rockford fell 3-0 (29-27, 25-17, 25-16) to the Vikings despite playing an excellent opening set. The Regents then rebounded with a 3-1 (25-20, 19-25, 25-23, 25-17) win in their first ever match against the University of Olivet. A Rockford player also tied the individual blocks record for the second time this week, when
Danny Karpenko tallied 6 blocks in the win against Olivet.
Augustana 3 Rockford 0 (29-27, 25-17, 25-16)
- The first set was one of the most exciting sets of the season for both teams.
- Augustana seemingly took control of the opening set with a 6-1 run to grab a 12-6 lead.
- With the Vikings still holding a 16-12 advantage, the Regents ran off six of the next eight points to tie the match at 18-18. Joseis Dixon led the way with a pair of kills over that span.
- Following an Augustana kill, Rockford scored five of the next six points, including four straight, to grab its first lead of the day at 23-20. Joseis Dixon was once again the catalyst, this time with a pair of service aces.
- After the Vikings won the next three points to tie the score at 23-23, Rockford had a pair of set points at 24-23 and then again at 25-24.
- Unfortunately, the Vikings dispatched of both, and then had three set points of their own at 26-25, 27-26 and finally at 28-27. Augustana's Sean Carlson ended the set with his seventh kill of the opening set to give the Vikings the 29-27 win and a 1-0 lead.
- The second set was tight for the majority of the way.
- Rockford's Josh Bowling opened with a kill to give his team a 1-0 lead.
- After the Vikings scored the next two points to take the lead, Rockford tied the score at 2-2 and then again at 6-6.
- With the Regents now trailing 13-11, the Vikings used an 8-1 spurt to seize control of the second set.
- The Regents were unable to get any closer than seven the rest of the way and dropped the set 25-17.
- Unfortunately, the third set belonged to the Vikings.
- Augustana opened on an 11-3 spurt and never looked back.
- The Vikings used another 7-0 run later on en route to taking the third set 25-16 and the match 3-0.
Rockford 3 Olivet 1
- The first half of the opening set went back-and-forth with eight ties and two lead changes.
- With the score tied at 12-12, Rockford recorded the next four points as a part of a 9-2 run to take control of the set. Danny Karpenko led the Regent attack with a pair of kills over that span.
- However, Olivet slowly worked its way back into the set with a 6-2 run of its own, to make it just a 23-20 RU lead.
- Fortunately, Rockford scored the final two points, including a Nathan Simons kill to end it, to give the Regents a 1-0 lead.
- The second set went back-and-forth with the Regents and Comets trading body blows. Rockford scored the first four points, followed by Olivet scoring the next five points. The Regents used another 4-0 spurt to take a 10-7 lead, but then Olivet used a 7-3 run to retake the lead at 14-13.
- However, the Comets would score six straight points to grab a 20-15 lead and put themselves in position to even the match.
- The Regents were able to get back to within four on a trio of occasions, but Olivet held on for the 25-19 win to tie the match at 1-1.
- The third set was the tightest of all the sets between the Regents and Comets. There were a total of 11 ties and 4 lead changes, with neither team leading by more than four points the entire way.
- Rockford led by three several times early on, with the latter coming at 10-7.
- However, the Comets promptly used a 7-1 run to take their largest lead of the set at 14-11.
- Rockford hit right back with a 5-1 spurt of its own, capped off by a Josh Albers kill, to retake the lead at 16-15.
- With the Regents now clinging to a 20-19 advantage, Rockford scored the next three points, bookended by a Nathan Simons kill and a Isaiah Dixon ace, to jump out in front 23-19.
- However, the Comets did not make it easy, as they scored five of the next six points, including erasing a pair of RU set points, to make it a 24-23 game.
- Fortunately, Danny Karpenko smashed home a kill to win the second set 25-23 and give Rockford a 2-1 lead.
- Olivet actually led for the majority of the fourth set. The Comets led by as many as four points at 14-10, before the Regents began to take over.
- The Regents proceeded to score 10 of the next 12 points, including a pair of 3-0 runs and a 4-0 spurt. Danny Karpenko had 2 kills and a service ace, while Nathan Simons chipped in a kill as well.
- After a single point by Olivet, Rockford ended the match with a 5-0 run. The spurt was bookended by Isaiah Dixon kills, to win the set 25-17 and the match 3-1.
Augustana match
- Joseis Dixon finished with a career and team-high 12 kills. He also had 5 digs and 2 service aces.
- Isaiah Dixon tallied 10 kills, 4 digs, 2 blocks and 1 ace.
- Josh Albers added 16 assists and 3 digs.
Olivet match
- Isaiah Dixon had double-digit kills for the third straight match and the fourth time this season. Dixon finished with a match-high 14 kills, 6 digs, 2 blocks, an ace and an assist.
- Danny Karpenko had 10 kills and 0 attack errors on 16 attempts for a .625 hitting percentage. He also tied the school record with 6 blocks, 2 aces, a dig and an assist.
- Nathan Simons tied his career-high with 9 kills and a .278 hitting percentage.
- Josh Albers added 13 assists, a career-high 5 blocks, 2 digs, an ace and an assist.
- Da'Quan Bates had a match-high 10 digs and 6 assists.
