FORT WAYNE, Ind. – An outstanding season came to an end on Friday night for the young Golden Eagle men's volleyball program in a tough four set loss in the WHAC Tournament Semifinal vs. (13) Lourdes. Two of the four sets would need additional points to find a winner in the battle as CU ends the year 19-13, 8-10 WHAC for their best season in the short three-year program history. Cornerstone will now hit the offseason and continue to build the young team to prepare for 2024.
Game Recap – Cornerstone – 1 (13) Lourdes – 3 (25-22, 27-29, 28-30, 20-25)
Set One:
- Andrew Galanes was involved in a block and a kill early to help CU stay tied with the talented (13) Lourdes as it sat at 5-5 in set one.
- Cornerstone took their first lead of the set at 14-12 highlighted by a 3-0 run that saw two kills from David Galanes and a block from David Galanes and Joshua Beaumont.
- CU increased their lead to three on an attack error from Lourdes, 17-14.
- The resilient Gray Wolves came all the way back to tie set one at 19.
- A Lourdes error and a crucial service ace from Patrick Voloch helped Cornerstone take the lead back, 22-20. David Galanes then added a kill to cap a 3-0 run and force a Gray Wolf timeout at 23-20.
- The timeout would not phase CU as another David Galanes kill and a Lourdes service error helped the Golden Eagles take set one 25-22. Galanes ended with seven kills in the first set.
Set Two:
- Cornerstone carried momentum into set two scoring five of the first six points. Cade Meza had a service ace in the run to lead 5-1.
- CU increased the lead to five at 10-5 on a Lourdes attack error.
- Lourdes slowly chipped away at the deficit and eventually tied the set at 16 on a kill from Jaber Badarne.
- Eduardo Ayala tallied a service ace that gave LU their largest lead of the set at 22-19.
- Cornerstone would battle back this time with the help of some Lourdes errors to tie things at 23. Jackson Bush then came in and gave CU a service ace for set point that forced a Gray Wolves timeout.
- CU would get two total set point chances but were unable to execute and close the deal. Lourdes would find a way to take set two, 29-27 on a ball handing error from Cornerstone and another kill from Jaber Badarne.
Set Three:
- In set three, the two teams traded points for a good chunk of the start. Lourdes got the first multi-point lead on an Eduardo Ayala kill that made it 8-6.
- Cornerstone immediately tied the set back up at eight with a kill from Andrew Galanes.
- Trailing 15-14, Cornerstone saw a 3-0 with kills from David Galanes and Landon Waltz to go on top 17-15.
- Another CU attack error allowed LU to tie the set again at 18.
- The two sides again traded points to the finish line forcing extra points to be played for the second straight set.
- CU survived the first five set points that Lourdes had but were unable to get one of their own. Lourdes put CU away 30-28 on a block from Paul Rolland and Rashawn Allen.
- David Galanes achieved 21 kills before the fourth set began.
Set Four:
- Cornerstone continued to fight getting an early 5-3 lead with the help of a Joshua Beaumont kill.
- Lourdes would flip the script for a two-point lead of their own on a kill from Jaber Bardne to make it 11-9.
- Errors then started to cost the Golden Eagles. CU would call a timeout trailing 14-10.
- After the timeout, Lourdes added to their lead going on a 5-1 run to bring the advantage to 19-11.
- Andrew Galanes would help Cornerstone come back to put CU within four, but it was too-little-too-late as an attack error gave Lourdes set four 25-20.
By the Numbers
23/21 –
David Galanes recorded another 20-kill game with 23 on the match, 21 of those in the first three sets.
13/11 – Cornerstone played clean volleyball in the first three sets with just 13 attack errors. In the fourth however the team had 11.
24 –
Kyi Jagorin recorded his fifth 20+ dig performance in the last six matches.
Contact: Jesse Campbell |
nathan-jesse.campbell@cornerstone.edu | 616-222-1505
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