Eutectics Notch Five-Set Win over Wildcats in First Conference Match

(Photo courtesy of Tierney Sylvester)

CANTON, MO. – In the first Heart of America Athletic Conference (HEART) matchup of the season, the Eutectic men's volleyball team brought home a hard-fought five-set victory over the Culver-Stockton College Wildcats (0-8, 0-1 HEART) on Tuesday night with set scores of 24-26, 25-12, 14-25, 25-16, 15-13.

MATCH HIGHLIGHTS:

• The Eutectics held a slight lead for most of the first set until, at 17-15, the Wildcats strung together five points in a row off three UHSP errors, an ace, and a kill to earn a home-team lead of 20-17. The Eutectics chased them down, tying it at 23 and 24, but the Wildcats won the last two points to take the first set.
• Set 2 was all Eutectics, who took a 13-4 lead and never looked back. Back-to-back aces from David Quinones brought the score to 21-7, and back-to-back kills from Cooper Hansen sealed the set win for UHSP at 25-12 to even the set score at one apiece.
• The momentum swung towards the home team in the third set, as the Eutectics struggled with consistency. After a five-point run by the Wildcats to go up 14-7, the CSC team put together another seven points in a row to pull ahead 22-9. The Eutectics won four of the last six points, but it was too late to catch the Wildcats, who took the set at 25-14 and took a 2-1 set lead.
• The Eutectics regained the momentum from the start of the fourth set, taking the lead and holding it throughout. Five kills from Hansen and three Eutectic blocks highlighted the set, which the Purple and Gold won 25-16 to force the deciding set.
• The Eutectics took the lead early at 3-2 in the short fifth set, and though the Wildcats pressured them through the end, the Eutectics held on to win the set at 15-13 and claim the match victory.
• Hansen totaled 12 kills in the match, Grant Hoover recorded 10 kills, and Dickson Colado, returning to the court for his first varsity match this season, racked up seven kills on 15 attempts for an attacking percentage of 46.7% . Hoover and Xavier Gamayo each had 10 digs; RJ Dilks recorded 23 assists; and Xander Quenzer put down seven block assists and one solo block in the match.

NEXT UP:

The Eutectics, now 3-2 overall, and 1-0 in the Conference, will return to the UHSP campus for their next two HEART matches this weekend. On Friday, Feb. 14, they play host to the Ottawa University Braves from Kansas (5-2, 1-0 HEART) at 7 p.m. before an 11 a.m. Saturday matchup with the Kansas Wesleyan Coyotes (2-4, 0-1 HEART).