BEREA, Ohio – Head coach Aldis Berzins became the program's winningest coach as the Stevenson men's volleyball team (2-2 overall) split with Loras (2-0 overall) and Marian (WI) (1-2 overall) during the Baldwin Wallace tournament Saturday afternoon at Unsprung Gymnasium. The Mustangs fell to Loras in straight sets before defeating Marian 3-2 to aid Berzins in setting the record at 119 career victories.
 
Vs Loras (19-25, 19-25, 13-25)
 
Loras led the first set wire-to-wire after jumping to a 10-4 lead. Elliot De La Torre and Ryan Thenell added back-to-back kills for the Mustangs to spark a 6-3 Stevenson run. The Duhawks extended their lead to 15-22 before Stevenson used a 4-1 run to narrow the lead to 19-23. However, Loras took the final two points to win the opening set 19-25.
 
In the second set, Loras again secured a lead and never relinquished it. Stevenson was able to string together three points just once in the set, closing the gap to 17-21 with an ace from Brian Farell but the Duhawks finished the set on a 4-2 run to win the set 19-25.
 
Loras continued to show its strength in the third set, jumping to a 6-13 lead on the heels of a five-point streak. Stevenson was never allowed to string multiple points together and lost the final set 13-25.
 
Vs Marian (WI) (25-21, 22-25, 25-23, 20-25, 15-12)
 
The match against Marian was tightly contested with 37 tie scores and 13 lead changes overall. The first set saw 10 tie scores but just two lead changes. Marian carried a 10-12 lead before Stevenson took advantage of attack errors to tie the set at 12. The sides traded points before the Mustangs used an 8-3 run to take a 22-17 lead. Ryan Thenell added three kills on the run while Aidan O'Brien added one. Thenell and De La Torre paired up for a block to spark a 3-2 run to close the set and give the Mustangs the 25-21 victory.
 
The second set saw eight tie scores and three lead changes as Stevenson hit .205 and the Sabres hit .179. The teams traded runs to a 13-13 tie before the Sabres could stretch a 14-17 lead. The teams traded the next five points before Marian used a 4-1 run to take a 18-23 lead. The Mustangs closed the gap to 21-23 with a three point run including two kills from Elliot De La Torre and a block from De La Torre and Ryan Thenell. The teams traded the next three points for Marian to win the frame 22-25.
 
The teams carried a tie to the 14-14 point in the third set before the Sabres stretched to a 14-18 lead. Stevenson responded with a five-point run to take a 19-18 lead which included two blocks from the Stevenson middle. The Sabres regained a 19-22 lead before Stevenson used a 6-1 run to close the set at 25-23. Bran Farrell and De La Torre added two kills each on the run while Thenell added one.
 
The Sabres started the fourth set on a mission, leveraging a 8-11 lead before the teams went point-for-point to the 11-14 mark. Stevenson used a 6-2 run to take a17-16 lead capped by a kill from De La Torre. The Sabres closed the set on a 9-3 run to win the set 20-25 and force a fifth frame.
 
In the fifth set, Stevenson took advantage of Sabre attack errors to leverage a 7-4 lead. The separation was all the Mustangs would need as the teams went point-for-point over the next 16 points, giving Stevenson a 15-12 victory.
 
What's Next

• Stevenson will travel to Arlington, Va. To face Marymount on January 24 at 6pm.