March 14, 2017
By Christopher Sich
The Dominican University men’s Volleyball have been playing phenomenal volleyball this season and currently have a 15-1 record. After losing their season opener, the Stars have strung together 15 straight wins, with the most recent coming against Midwest Collegiate Volleyball League (MCVL) conference rival Olivet College.
The Stars did quick work of the Comets as they won in straight sets 25-8, 25-15, 25-19. The win was the Stars second straight three-set victory in as many nights, and also improved the Stars to a perfect 11-0 in conference play. Junior Luke Spicer led the Stars with seven kills, and hit .449 in the winning effort, including knocking down 14 kills on 18 swings in the first set without committing an error. Alex Coyne has a strong start to the match dishing out 12 assists in the opening set, before giving way to sophomore Nidhin Thomas and freshman Evan Ruffner who shared setting duties for the remainder of the match collecting 12 assists apiece. The Stars collected a total of 38 assists, doubling the total of the Comets who tallied 19.
The Stars also put forth a strong defensive effort as they tallied 24 digs while only allowing the Comets to find the hardwood 20 times on a .029 attack percentage. The Stars posted six total blocks at the net, including two apiece for Ethan Klosak, Aidan Spangler and Alec McKinney.
The Stars have really come together this season and are playing great team volleyball. They have seen contributions from a variety of players including Adam Eboli, Nick Timreck and Alex Coyne. Eboli and Timreck rank top five in the MCVL in blocks per set at 1.13 and 1.02 respectively. Eboli, whose hitting percentage is .500, is leading the conference in this category, as well as the Stars who are currently hitting .305 percent as a team.
Coyne also has been very effective on the court ranking second in assists per set with 10.33, and one of the factors as to why the Stars as a team currently rank second in the conference in assists per set (11.60).
To say that the Stars are playing well would be an understatement. With a 15 game winning streak under their belts their confidence is high, but they know they must continue to work hard to achieve their goals.
“Our goals never change; it’s winning conference and the conference tournament first and foremost,” Head Coach Dan Ames said.
The Stars currently lead the Eastern Division in the MCVL, but are tied with Carthage who also boasts an 11-0 conference record. The Stars will be visiting the Red Men further down the road so it is pertinent the Stars stay focused on their upcoming home stand.
The Stars have played 13 of their first 16 matches on the road this season and return home for the first of eight straight home matches at the Igini Sports Forum on Friday, March 17, hosting Endicott College (3:00 p.m.) and North Central College (7:00 p.m.) in a doubleheader.
sichchri@my.dom.edu