Euts Can’t Tame No. 10 - Mustangs

Following a five-set late-night Conference victory over the Clarke Pride on Friday, the Eutectic men's volleyball team returned to the UHSP gymnasium at noon on Saturday looking to upset the NAIA No. 10-ranked Mount Mercy University Mustangs (17-4, 5-4) in a Heart of America Athletic Conference (HEART) match. Despite their best efforts, the Eutectics fell in straight sets, but forced the Mustangs to play nearly flawlessly for the victory: 25-23, 25-21, 25-19.

The Eutectics matched the Mustangs nearly point-for-point early in the first set until the visitors were able to win three points in a row off two kills and a UHSP error to go up 11-7. At 22-17, the Purple and Gold rallied, winning five of the next six points off kills by Grant Hoover (2) and Marcus Parker (all assisted by Cole Cwiklowski) and two Mustang errors to nearly catch up at 23-22. Mount Mercy refocused its efforts after a timeout, however, and won the set 25-23.

Up 9-7 in the second set, the visitors won three points in a row off a kill and two blocks to make it 12-7. But, just as Dickson Colado was stepping up to the service line at 14-10, Grant Hoover pounded down four kills in a row (three assisted by Cwiklowski and one off an overpass) to tie the set at 14 all. Mount Mercy took several one-point leads after that, with UHSP answering back for several ties before the Mustangs were able to win three in a row and go up 20-17. Kills from Hoover and Cooper Hansen (from Cwiklowski) got the Euts within one point at 20-19, but that was a close as they would come, as the Mustangs finished off the set hitting at .500 with zero errors to win 25-21.  

The two teams battled it out early in the third set, forcing ties at nearly every number until, with the Eutectics up 10-9, the Mustangs won six of the next seven points off three kills, an ace, a block, and a UHSP error to take the lead at 15-11. After a timeout, the Eutectics recovered to 16-14, but sustained a barrage of heavy attacks following that with the Mount Mercy team taking a 20-14 lead. After back-to-back kills from Cameron Werner and Hoover put the score a 23-18, the Mustangs closed it out at 25-19 with a final kill from Alessandro Spendolin to seal the match win.

The Mustangs gave up 21 points in service errors as the Eutectics matched them in blocks (5-5) and digs (35-34). But the MMU hitters racked up and impressive 48 kills on 99 attempts for an average of .404 in the match.

Grant Hoover collected 15 kills on 28 attempts with only two errors to lead the Eutectic hitters with a .464 average. Cole Cwiklowski put up 28 assists, Xavier Gamayo picked up 10 digs, and Marcus Parker put down three blocks.     

After three home games this week, the Eutectics, now 12-6 overall and 3-5 in the HEART, will hit the road next week. On Tuesday, they travel to Canton, Mo., to take on Culver-Stockton College (2-15, 0-7) at 7 p.m., before heading to Tennessee for three non-conference matches at Cumberland University over the weekend.