Road DH sweep for UHSP makes them 9-0

(Photo courtesy of Dani Underwood)

SALINA, KS – The Eutectics extended their record-setting unbeaten start to the 2024 campaign to now nine straight games with a sweep of a pair of matches Saturday in the Sunflower State. Head Coach Chris Frankenfield and company first rolled through Central Christian in three straight sets, 25-6, 25-13, 25-8 and then took down the host club Kansas Wesleyan, 25-22, 26-24, 25-13. It was the second meeting for UHSP against both clubs already this young season.

The second matchup of the afternoon proved to be the most challenging of the day for UHSP. Set number one was tight until the middle stages as UHSP led Kansas Wesleyan 14-12. A Coyotes service error opened the door for a 6-1 run to put the Eutectics up 20-13. Marcus Parker and Dickson Colado each had a pair of kills during that stretch. The Coyotes were able to climb back to within two late at 23-21, but a Colado kill and a KWU error sealed the set for UHSP.

In the second set, Cole Cwiklowski got the Eutectics rolling early with a 4-0 run that put UHSP on top 5-1. Cwiklowski even set up one of the points with an assist on a Connor Behymer kill as Xavier Gamayo had the only other kill in the sequence. UHSP was able to maintain at least a three-point lead until a Zayin Martinez got Kansas Wesleyan within a pair at 11-9. It was tight down the stretch as the match was tied at 12, 13, 14, 17, 18 and 20. KWU took a two-point lead at 22-20 threatening to even the match at a set apiece. But the Coyotes had a pair of errors and Colado and Grant Hoover registered kills to give the Purple and Gold a 24-22 advantage and set point. Kansas Wesleyan would tie it again at 24-all on a Behymer service error and a kill from Justin Burras. But Hoover got the next point on a kill and Burras gave UHSP the set-clincher with a service error and the Eutectics were up two sets to none.

Another good start to a set put UHSP up in the third 10-3 then 15-6. Within the first 21 points, Parker had three kills while Colado, Hoover and Behymer each had two. It was an error-filled finish by both squads down the stretch, but on match point Cwiklowski set up Behymer for the final point to give the Eutectics a double-header sweep.

Hoover and Behymer each paced the Eutectics with ten kills with the latter adding six digs. Cwiklowski had a double-double with 36 assists and ten digs in the win. Martinez had a game-high 11 kills for Kansas Wesleyan. The Eutectics outhit the Coyotes in terms of efficiency attacking at a .292 clip to .179. That turned out to be a big factor in the match as the rest of the key statistical areas were fairly even across the board.

The day for UHSP began with a whitewashing of the Central Christian after having cruised past the Tigers three weeks earlier at the UHSP Gym. The Tigers scored 30 total points over the three sets in the previous meeting on Jan. 26 and only tallied 27 on this day. The only juncture that Central Christian ever led in the entire match was at 3-2 in the opening set. It was 6-5 in the first set when the Eutectics scored an incredible 18 consecutive points before winning the set 25-6. Dickson Colado rattled off nine straight service points in that run including three aces before being subbed out for Curtis Fair. The latter went on to continue the service run by scoring eight more straight with three aces of his own. Marcus Parker totaled three kills in the impressive run by the Eutectics.

The second set was close early, but never really in doubt for the Eutectics. It was a 5-4 set when Colado got a kill followed by two aces of his own to start a 5-0 run. Grant Hoover and Cooper Hansen finished that stretch with kills from DJ Dilks who racked up 17 assists in the match. Central Christian scored three straight later to make it 16-11, but the Eutectics closed out the set by scoring nine of the final 11 points including the final three in a row capped by a Fair kill off a Dilks assist.

The final set was a wipeout start to finish. UHSP took a 5-2 lead then scored seven straight and 10 of the next 11 points to go up 15-3. Fair was again behind the service line for six of those points and had a pair of aces while Parker delivered the only three kills UHSP needed to score points during that run around a slew of Tigers' errors. UHSP scored the final four points of the set to finish off their first win of the day. The Eutectics swung at .383 for the match while CCC struggled to the tune of -.164 as the Tigers had only ten kills and 19 errors during the match. UHSP servers delivered an incredible 18 aces with Fair (6) and Colado (5) leading the way. Marcus Parker paced the offense with nine kills while Connor Behymer anchored the defense with seven digs.

The Eutectics (9-0) will get a much sterner test in their next contest, a Heart of America Athletic Conference matchup on Friday against a cross-town rival in Missouri Baptist. The Spartans (9-0) are receiving votes in the latest NAIA Top-25 poll and play host to the 2^nd-ranked team in the country on Tuesday in the Park Pirates. Then another team receiving votes in Campbellsville plays at MBU on Friday afternoon at 4:30p prior to the matchup with the Eutectics at 7:00p.