CRAWFORDSVILLE, Ind. – On Friday, April 7, the Adrian College men's volleyball team defeated conference foe Wabash College in a three set sweep to pick up their 16th win of the season. Despite matching 2019's 16 wins, the Bulldogs have clinched a new NCAA program best win percentage at .593.
How It Happened
The men's volleyball team found themselves down early in the opening set of play Friday. After starting the game with a 2-1 lead, Wabash would record a 6-0 run to take a quick five advantage over Adrian College in the first set. Just as they have done countless times throughout the regular season, the Bulldogs rallied to reclaim the lead. With the help of kills by Carson Bell, Beck Fieldhouse, a block from Carson Bell, and a group of Wabash errors, the Bulldogs scored seven out of the set's next eight points to take a 9-8 lead. Both teams would exchange points during the middle of the set until Bulldogs Zach Molnar and Chase Heuer recorded kills and the men's volleyball team would take advantage of an attacking error by Wabash. Eventually, the Bulldogs created a four-point lead at 20-16. The Bulldogs would take care of business and concluded the first set with a 25-21 victory after riding off the momentum from Gawrisch and Heuer, who each recorded kills during the conclusion of the set.
Wabash and Adrian battled in the second set, with both programs leading by as much as two during the first half of the set. The Bulldogs saw their two-point lead after a service ace by Gawrisch and Wabash would lead by two at 14-12 after taking advantage of a Bulldog attacking error. Both teams would be deadlocked in the middle of the set with the score tied at 16 all, after a kill by Adrian's Gawrisch. In the second half of the set, the margin of error shrank even smaller as neither team would lead by no more than two points throughout the conclusion of the set. After falling behind by three on separate occasions, the Bulldogs always had an answer for their foes. Late in the set trailing 22-20, Adrian was able to tie it up at 22 all with the help of a Fieldhouse kill and a Wabash error. After trailing by two again, the Bulldogs tied the set up at 24 all after a kill by Heuer from an assisting David Barona and a kill from Gawrisch off an assisting Bell. The Bulldogs would not be denied Friday and closed out the set with three straight points with the help of two from Kills by Molnar and Bell.
In the third, the Bulldogs would take home the victory after winning the set 25-22. After a back-and-forth first half of the set, the men's volleyball team took control after falling behind by one at 18-17. Adrian College would complete an expedient 5-2 advantage after Bell and Fieldhouse completed kills, while Gawrisch followed up by recording a service ace. Later on, Heuer and Fieldhouse would tack on kills to give the Bulldogs a 23-21 lead over Wabash. After service errors from both squads, Heuer would conclude the sweep with a kill from an assisting Barona.
Top Dawgs
Heuer led all players with a match high 13 kills and Gawrisch recorded a game high two aces and three blocks. Additionally, Samuel Williams tied a game high eight digs Friday.
Historical Notes
Tonight's contest marked the fourth ever meeting between the two teams, with their first ever contest taking place in January of 2021. After Friday's 3-0 victory over Wabash, the Bulldogs lead their foes four games to none in the all-time series.
In 2016, the men's volleyball team set a previous program best, .533 win percentage as a member of the NCAA. Regardless of the outcome from the Bulldogs season finale, tonight's win set the Bulldogs program win percentage record for a regular season as a member of the NCAA. The Bulldogs are currently at a .593 win percentage heading into their season finale tomorrow against Fontbonne.
Up Next
The men's volleyball team will conclude the regular season with an away matchup against Fontbonne University in St. Louis, Missouri. The match will take place on Saturday, April 8 at 1:00 PM. Live stream and LiveStats information is available under the men's volleyball schedule.
