BOURBONNAIS, Ill. — Olivet Nazarene (IL) (10-12, 3-4) dropped a hard-fought five-set match, 2-3, at McHie Arena. Despite a strong showing, including a .281 hitting percentage in the third set, the Tigers came up short in the final set.

Olivet saw strong contributions throughout the match, led by Tomas Gonzalez, who facilitated the offense with consistent assists. Austin Love and Cade Ooms were key on the attack, delivering timely kills to keep the Tigers competitive in the opening set.

In the second set, Olivet built early momentum behind a kill from Joe Akeo and continued strong play from Nic VanOort and Ooms. The Tigers maintained control with crucial blocks from Gonzalez and Ben Kreke, holding off a late push before VanOort secured the set with a decisive kill.

The third set was Olivet's most dominant, with Ooms opening the scoring and Love adding multiple kills to extend the lead. VanOort and Kreke anchored the defense with key blocks, while Gonzalez continued to distribute effectively. Ooms capped off the set with the final kill to give the Tigers a commanding 25-16 win.

Olivet continued to battle in the fourth set, highlighted by another key kill from Ooms and steady offensive production led by Gonzalez. VanOort and Kreke remained active at the net, contributing on both offense and defense as the Tigers fought to maintain momentum.

In the deciding fifth set, Olivet jumped out to an early lead behind a kill from Ooms and continued efforts from VanOort and Kreke. Despite the strong start, the Tigers were unable to hold on, falling 15-12 to close out the match.

--ONU--