Match 1 Box Score
Match 2 Box Score
Milwaukee, Wis. – The Cardinal Stritch University Wolves men’s volleyball team won one and lost one on Saturday while hosting the 2010 Stritch Wolves Men’s Volleyball Triangular. Stritch registered a win against the St. Xavier University Cougars and suffered a loss to the Lindenwood University Lions.
In match one, the Wolves opened the triangular against the Cougars from St. Xavier University. Using an altered lineup from its usual set of starters, Stritch would drop the first game 30-28, but would come back strong the rest of the way.
Looking to rebound in game two, Stritch would go down early to St. Xavier. The Wolves would rally back to tie the game at 10-10, the offense would kick in as Stritch would pull ahead to go up 23-15 on a kill by senior Matt Tauaese (Pomona, Calif.).
The Wolves would continue their scoring, making the offensive surge a 20-8 run, eventually claiming the 30-18 win.
The third game would have the two teams swapping points early on. Tied at 5-5, Stritch would score three straight points to take an 8-5 lead thanks to a kill by Adam Cosson (West Allis, Wis.), an ace by Scott Golden (Vernon Hill, Ill.), and a block by Alo Tauaese (Pomona, Calif.).
The Cougars would come back to close the game to 8-7 with kills by Matt Yerkes (Palos Heights, Ill.) and Joe Mooney (Palos Heights, Ill.). However, the Wolves would respond with an 9-2 run to pull out front at 17-9.
Riding four kills by Cosson and three apiece by Golden and George Ghassan, Stritch would pull out a 30-20 game three win.
Stritch would race out to a quick 9-1 lead in the fourth game of the match, and thanks to six kills by Golden and 16 assists by Garrett Payne (San Diego, Calif.), the Wolves would win 30-17.
In Saturday’s first win, Matt Tauaese would lead the Wolves with 14 kills while younger brother Alo, who appeared in three games, would lead the team with 35 assists.
The Cougars would be led in kills by Aaron Porter (Woodridge, Ill.) and his 17 kills in the match.
The Wolves would take on the Lindenwood University Lions in their second match of the day. Despite getting eight kills from Vladimir Frenc (Belgrade, Serbia,) in the first game, the Wolves would fall 30-26.
Game two would see the Wolves suffer a similar fate as the offense struggled to connect on its chances. After the first game in which Stritch converted just 19 percent of their attacks, the second match saw them convert only 13 percent of the time. Lindenwood, which converted on 33 percent in game two, would win the game 30-23.
Needing a spark, things would turn around in the third game of the match for Stritch. Frenc and Golden would combine for 13 kills during the game and the defense held the Lions to an attack percentage of six in the game while claiming the win 30-26.
Unfortunately, the luster of a game three win wouldn’t last long as Stritch would eventually drop game four by a final of 30-17.
By going 1-1 on the day, the Wolves record now goes to 9-5 on the year. Stritch will play again on Tuesday, Feb. 23 as they head to Chicago, Ill. to face the Moody Bible Institute Archers. Game time is slated for 7 p.m.