#11 Men’s Volleyball Falls to #14 Lasell In Five Sets

NEWTON, Mass. – The #11 Wentworth Institute of Technology men's volleyball team fell to the #14 Lasell Lasers in five sets on Thursday night. Alem Dubcak tallied a career-high 25 kills to lead the Leopards offense. Eli Turner added 11 kills while Conner Foxwell tallied seven kills and six blocks. Benjamin Moughan had seven kills with 11 digs and Mehki Burns added a team-high 15 digs.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Lasers jumped out to an early 5-1 lead with kills from Teddy Teraszkiewicz. Dubcak's pair of finishes got the Leopards back to 6-5 before the hosts jumped back in front by four. After the Lasers took a 13-10 lead, Moughan's two aces and two kills from William Biggs put the Leopards in front by one. The teams went back and forth with Moughan tying the game at 18-18. Lasell scored the next three points and Wentworth called a timeout. The Leopards scored five of the next eight points to make it a 24-23 game before an attack error gave the Lasers the first set, 25-23.
• Lasell took the lead to open set two before the Leopards evened the score with an ace from Nicolai Bell and a kill from Foxwell. Bell and Dubcak combined to give Wentworth a 13-10 lead before the Lasers rattled off three straight points to tie the game. After a Wentworth timeout, Lasell scored three straight points again to make it 16-13. The hosts maintained their edge until the Leopards' late 3-0 spark made it a 21-20 game. Two kills from Dubcak and an attack error by Schultz evened the score at 24-all. The sides went back and forth until two strong finishes from Dubcak gave the Leopards the 29-27 win and tied the match.
• The teams went back and forth again to begin the third set. Green and Turner tallied kills, but Lasell held a 9-7 lead. The Lasers maintained their lead with Schultz getting back-to-back kills for a 13-10 lead, forcing Wentworth into a timeout. Wentworth battled back to make it a 19-16 deficit, and the hosts called a timeout. Schultz tallied two kills and Peyton Walter added an ace to give Lasell a 24-17 lead. After a service error from Walter, Schultz finished off the set, 25-18, and gave Lasell a 2-1 lead.
• Dubcak and Turner put the Leopards in front 5-2 early in set four. Lasell battled back and the teams exchanged points with Foxwell giving Wentworth a slight 11-10 lead. Both sides held the lead for a point as they went back and forth late into the frame. A block from Paten Buckwalter and Branch Barnes gave Lasell the 20-19 edge and Wentworth called a timeout. Dubcak and Turner tied the game before Bell's finish put the Leopards in front 24-23, forcing the hosts into a timeout. Burns tallied a kill to make it 28-27 Wentworth, but the Lasers answered to keep the set going. Two attack errors by Lasell gave Wentworth the 31-29 victory, sending the match to a decisive fifth set.
• Dubcak tallied another kill to make it a 5-4 game, but the Lasers went on a 6-0 run to take a commanding 11-4 lead in the final frame. Dubcak recorded his 25^th kill of the night but it was not enough as the Lasers took the fifth set 15-5 to win the match.

THE SERIES

• Tonight was the 59^th all-time meeting between the teams.

NEXT UP

• The Leopards head to California for the Cal-Lu-Fornia Classic hosted by Cal Lutheran. Wentworth takes on Cal Lutheran on Thursday night.

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