TIGERS FORCE FIVE SETS IN CONSECUTIVE MATCHES IN PROGRAM'S FIRST-EVER ACTION

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Olivet Nazarene University men's volleyball team broke ground playing their first matches in program history Friday as part of the Michigan Men's Volleyball Invitational hosted by Cornerstone University. The Tigers forced five sets in both matches but fell short in each playing the tournament host Cornerstone in game one and Aquinas College in game two.

First Match: Cornerstone 3, Olivet Nazarene 2

In their debut match in program history, the Tigers drew the host team, the Cornerstone Golden Eagles. ONU scored the first two points with Max Slaughter serving the first ace ever for the Tigers. After an early 3-1 lead, the set saw seven ties and eight lead changes before CU took ran ahead and took the set 25-21.

The Tigers responded gaining a lead early in the second set. Consecutive kills from Collier Kahaku Marquez and Titus Thompson forced a Golden Eagle timeout with the score 7-3. ONU held CU at an arm's length as the set progressed. Kills from Slaughter and James Ballance ended the set 25-20 and evened the score 1-1.

Olivet got off to a slow start to the third relinquishing five of the first six points.CU built a seven-point lead before ONU went on a 7-2 run sparked by a Balance service ace. A kill from Kahaku Marquez assisted by Dalen Mathews tied the score 23-23 before Cornerstone took the set scoring consecutive points.

Nothing could separate the two sides as the fourth set got underway. Both teams traded the first 21 points with no team leading by more than a point. The Tigers found the momentum going on a 5-1 run. A kill from Kahaku Marquez tied up the match once more with ONU taking the fourth set 25-18.

The deciding set saw the Tigers take a 4-2 lead early before the Golden Eagles went on a 7-1 run. Olivet answered with a run of their own to tie the game 10-10. ONU led the set 13-12 but could not close it out as CU tallied the final three points to take match one.

Second Match: RV Aquinas College 3, Olivet Nazarene 2

Aquinas College got off to a fast start taking the first set 25-15. The score was close till the Saints broke out on an 11-2 run. ONU found their footing offensively but ran out of room with the opening set ending 25-15.

Olivet took advantage of five consecutive AQ errors to open a 6-2 lead. ONU held off Aquinas' 4-0 run who utilized service aces to cut the Tiger's lead 20-18. Olivet evened the match at one apiece as Titus Thompson and Kyle Szymanski scored the final two points to win the set 25-20.

Much like the first set, Aquinas heated up leading the third set 8-3. A Saint's 8-1 run blew the set open and let 19-8. Olivet did not back down and responded with a 14-2 run to level the set at 22-22. Aquinas stopped the leakage taking three consecutive points and claiming the third set 25-22.

The Tigers carried the momentum from the end of the third set into the fourth set to force a fifth. ONU recorded their highest hitting percentage of the match at .478 and their highest kill total at 14. They also committed their lowest error total with only three. Olivet ended the set on a 6-2 run and once again leveled the match 2-2.

Aquinas finished the proceedings hitting their highest percentage for the game at .571 to ONU's lowest, .062. The Saints ended the game on a roll winning 12 of the last 16 points.

GAME VITALS

Match One: First Set: CU 25, ONU 21 | Second Set: ONU 25, CU 20 | Third Set: CU 25, ONU 23 | Fourth Set: ONU 25, CU 18 | Fifth Set: CU 15, ONU 13

Second Match: First Set: AQ 25, ONU 15 | Second Set: ONU 25, AQ 20 | Third Set: AQ 25, RV ONU 22 | Fourth Set: ONU 25, AQ 20 | Fifth Set: AQ 15, ONU 7

Records: (RV) Aquinas College 2-0 | Cornerstone University 2-0 | Olivet Nazarene: 0-2

Location: MOL Arena | Cornerstone University | Grand Rapids, Mich.

QUICK HITS

First Match

• Max Slaughter led all scorers with 20.5 points with Collier Kahaku Marquez close behind with 19.5
• Hunter DeMello dished a team-high 23 assists
• Santana Haliniak-DeSa  tallied 15 digs while James Ballance registered 12.
• Kahaku Marquez and Jackson Harvey each made five blocks

Second Match

• ONU as a team tallied 43 digs in the contest.
• Max Slaughter led all scorers with 21.5 points with 19 kills.
• Hunter DeMello duplicated his game 1 performance with 23 assists
• Kahaku Marquez had a team-high three service aces

WHAT'S NEXT?

The Tigers conclude play at the Michigan Men's Volleyball Invitational competing against the Lawrence Tech at 10 a.m. CST and (RV) Siena Heights at 3 p.m. Please visit onutigers.com for the latest live links.

--ONU—

*Contact: Patrick Kaindl, Sports Information Graduate Assistant, pkaindl@olivet.edu