Hawks Streak Snapped with 3-2 Loss to Lindenwood

The Quincy University men's volleyball team had their seven game winning streak snapped in a 3-2 loss at home to Lindenwood University. The Hawks took the first game 25-19 before dropping the next two 25-19 and 25-20. They rallied to win the fourth game 25-20 and held a lead in the fifth game but fell 15-11 to end the match.

With the score at 5-5 in the first game Quincy pulled away from Lindenwood by scoring the next three points as the Lions committed three straight attack errors. The Hawks opened their lead up to 19-13 and cruised to the first set win as they finished with a match high 14 kills in the game.

Lindenwood's offense shook off their slow start and was on fire in the second set as they hit a match-high .478 in the set with 13 kills and just two errors. Lindenwood led from the start and Quincy was never close after the Lions pulled away from a 3-3 tie early on. The third set was up for grabs until late when Lindenwood was able to score six of the game's final eight points. 

The Hawks were not ready to end their winning streak just yet and fought hard to even the match up. The Hawks came out on a roll in the fourth set jumping out to a 7-2 lead. The Hawks will was evident early on as they put together an impressive rally. Leading 5-2 the Hawks made back to back dives to keep the ball up before the rally ended on a Lindenwood error. The Hawks fended off a rally by Lindenwood that cut the score to 14-10 as Joseph Ascher and Ryan Lehmann teamed up to provide the Hawks with key kills. The Hawk defense was on top of their game as well, diving for balls and providing a strong wall at the net including a triple block by Andrew Ouano, Steven Battaglia and Ryan Lehmann that put the hawks up 18-11. Battaglia finished off the set for Quincy with a kill off a set from Ouano. 

Quincy led 11-9 in the fifth set and appeared headed towards extending their winning streak when a controversial non-call occurred on the play. The Hawks Lehmann raced over near press row and saved a ball, hitting it back over the net where a Lindenwood player sent the ball back down for a kill. The Hawks argued that the Lion player was in the net but the call was not made. That was all that was needed for the Lions to take the momentum back as they scored the game's final six points.

Quincy hit .197 in the match with 57 kills and 28 errors while Lindenwood hit .191 with 54 kills and 27 errors. Quincy was led by Joseph Ascher's 17 kills while Joseph Sokol and Steven Battaglia each added 12 kills. Andrew Ouano finished with 49 assists for the Hawks. Quincy is now 15-9 overall this season.