Chicago, Ill. - Opening the season against a tough opponent like North Central College was a tall task for the Illinois Tech men's volleyball team. The Scarlet Hawks put up a good battle, closing the gap in each set, but it was not enough as the Cardinals defeated the Hawks 3-0 Saturday afternoon at the Keating Sports Center. The Scarlet Hawks open the season 0-1. The Cardinals start 1-0.

The Hawks were within one point in the first set at 15-14 before the Cardinals went on a 9-1 run to take command of the opening frame. 

The second set followed a similar track as the first, with the Hawks tied up with the Cardinals at 13 before North Central pushed ahead with a 5-0 run. The Hawks could get no closer than three points the rest of the set as the Cardinals posted a five-point set victory.

Illinois Tech flipped the script in the third set, running out to a 9-3 lead in the early going. North Central responded with a 13-5 run to take a 16-14 lead. The teams traded points deeper into the set, with the score tied at 22 before the Cardinals close out the set and the match with a 3-0 run.

Set Scores

• North Central 3 Illinois Tech 0 (25-17, 25-20, 25-22)

 Match Highlights and Notes

• Riley Laite had six kills and a .231 hit percentage for the Hawks. He also added six digs.
• Mychal Markevych finished with six kills.
• Lucas Guanes had 18 assists in the contest.
• Jackson Wang contributed three blocks - one solo and two assisted.
• The Cardinals were led by Jared Moser (8 kills, .238), Matt Nealon (27 assists), and Jake Miller (8 digs).

 Up Next

• The Hawks go on their first road match of the season when they travel to Bourbonnais, Ill. to take on Olivet Nazarene University Saturday, January 29th at 7pm in a non-conference matchup.