| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Olivet Nazarene (IL) (13-13, 7-5) | 25 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
|
Calumet (IN) (0-24, 0-13) | 17 | 14 | 19 | 0 |
WHITING, Ind. - The Olivet Nazarene University men's volleyball team delivered an efficient and balanced performance Thursday night, defeating Calumet College of St. Joseph in straight sets in a Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference road matchup at the Rittenmeyer Center. Olivet hit an impressive .308 as a team, committing just 16 attack errors on 78 total swings, while controlling the tempo of play from start to finish.
Olivet set the tone early and jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the first set after three straight kills by Cade Ooms and an ace by Will Byers. A back-and-forth battle ensued for most of the first set, but with the Tigers leading 21-16, a Joe Akeo kill pushed the advantage to six and the Olivet would go on to claim the first set 25-17.
The Tigers picked up right where they left off by securing the first two points of the second set. Taking advantage of several Calumet errors, Olivet used an 8-1 run to open up the match and extend their lead to 17-8. Later, a Byers kill secured the second-set win at 25-14.
A couple of early kills once again propelled the Tigers to an early 2-0 lead in the third set. Calumet would battle back and tie the set at 10, but four straight errors stopped their momentum and Olivet would lead the rest of the set. Late in the third set, the Tigers pulled away for the 25-19 win after an ace by Ben Kreke and a kill by Anthony Ezar.
Junior Cameron Johnston led all attackers with 11 kills, posting a remarkable .846 hitting percentage on 13 attempts. Ooms added nine kills and paced the Tigers defensively with eight digs. Setter Will Byers directed the offense with 28 assists, allowing Olivet to spread the ball effectively and keep Calumet's blockers off balance. Byers also chipped in defensively with six digs and a service ace. Olivet's serve receive and back‑row defense were steady throughout the evening, led by Tyler Van Laten and Ooms with eight digs apiece, helping limit Calumet's transition opportunities.
As a team, the Tigers finished with five service aces and four blocks.
The road victory continues a strong run for ONU as conference play moves toward the closing stretch of the regular season. The Tigers will look to carry the momentum forward when they travel to St. Ambrose (Iowa) on Tuesday, April 7 for a 7 p.m. start.
--ONU--