CHICAGO, Ill. - The Quincy University men's volleyball team took the Saint Xavier Cougars to five sets on Saturday (Feb. 1) night. The Hawks came up just short, falling 25-15, 22-25, 25-19, 27-29, 10-15.

How It Happened
1st Set
The Hawks started Saturday's match on a positive note after scoring the first two points. A Cougar attack error and a Ben Rachilla kill put QU up 2-0 early on.
 
Quincy later used a 5-1 run to double their lead at 8-4. Rachilla served up an ace and Adam Meyer slammed home a kill during the six-point stretch.
 
SXU pulled back within three a few points later, but that is as close as they would get.
 
The Hawks used multiple three- and four-point runs to dominate the rest of the set.
 
QU used a Michael Ladner kill to cap off a 7-4 run and extend their lead to 20-12.
 
The visiting team only allowed the Cougars to score three more points, as Cooper Coleman sealed the deal with an ace. QU took the opening set 25-15.
 
2nd Set
Saint Xavier jumped out to a 10-3 lead in the second set.
 
Quincy later pulled within five points after a Michael Ladner ace and two kills from Omari Wheeler and Eddie Jakubauskas made the score 15-10.
 
The Cougars scored eight of the next 13 points to go up 23-15.
 
QU did not back down, however, and responded in a big way.
 
The Hawks strung together seven straight points, highlighted by two kills from Ladner and a perfectly placed serve from Matt Friddle.  QU still trailed 23-22.
 
Quincy was unable to pull off the miraculous comeback, as SXU took the final two points to win the second set 25-22.
 
3rd Set
The momentum the Hawks built to end the second set carried over into the third.
 
QU jumped out to a 6-2 lead behind kills from Michael Ladner, Omari Wheeler, and Nathan Lawton.
 
The Cougars went on a run of their own to get within one at 10-9, but the Hawks were unphased.
 
Quincy put distance between themselves and the Cougars with an 11-6 run to make the score 21-15.
 
That score differential would stand, as Wheeler hammered down a kill to close out the set. QU took a 2-1 lead in the match with a 25-19 set win.
 
4th Set
The fourth set was a back-and-forth affair the whole way. The score sat tied at 9-9 before either team could build a cushion.
 
The Cougars were the first to surge forward, using an 11-6 run to go up 20-15.
 
The Hawks showed fight, clawing back to tie the score at 23 apiece on an Adam Meyer kill.
 
The two teams traded the next eight points, sitting deadlocked at 27-27.
 
QU was unable to end the match, as SXU took the final two points to force a decisive fifth set.
 
5th Set
The highly-competitive contest continued in the final set.
 
The score sat tied at 7-7 following a kill from Michael Ladner.
 
The Cougars rattled off the next three points, forcing a QU timeout.
 
Unfortunately for QU, Saint Xavier was able to keep the Hawks at bay out of the timeout.
 
The home team went on to take the fifth set 15-10 and complete the 3-2 victory.
 
Stat Leaders
Michael Ladner – 14 kills
Omari Wheeler – 12 kills
Matt Friddle – 31 assists
 
QU's Record
2-7
 
Up Next
The Hawks will return to Pepsi Arena next Saturday (Feb. 8) as they host Grand View University. First serve is set for 7 p.m.