GOSHEN, Ind. — Alexander Rabadzhiev recorded a double-double and match-high 13 kills, but the Goshen College men's volleyball team dropped the first match in program history to Lawrence Technological University on Thursday in Gunden Gymnasium.

Calvin Ooms led the Blue Devils (3-3) with 12 kills and 5 blocks while hitting .346 for the match. Lawrence Tech opened and closed with 25-16 set wins sandwiched around a 27-25 victory in the second set.

Each team's setter picked up enough digs for a double-double as well: Goshen's Michael Wahl finished with 25 assists and 10 digs, while Lawrence Tech's Gospel Sua accumulated 32 and 11 respectively. LTU's Stefan Sretenovic picked up 14 digs to lead all players and Rabadzhiev led Goshen with 11.

Ooms served through the first half of an 8-2 run that gave LTU control of the first set in the first Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference match of the year. The Maple Leafs (0-1) got their best run of the set later on, putting together a 5-1 spurt behind two kills from Rabadzhiev and one from Elias Baer, but could close the margin only as far as 8 points.

Neither team led by more than three points in the second stanza, which was the first trip to extra points for either team this season. Goshen raced to an 8-5 lead behind four kills from three players and an Isaac Longenecker ace before the Blue Devils tied things at 10. Lawrence Tech's biggest lead of the set came at 23-20, but Baer had a block and a kill as the Leafs staved off defeat with three straight points.

Each team saved a set point before Jacob Paige and Zachary Narkiewicz combined to seal the set for LTU.

The Blue Devils hit .281 with 13 kills and 2 blocks in the third set, which saw them take a 4-0 lead and go from there. The Maple Leafs got as close as two points on five occasions, but LTU responded with a side-out on four of them to maintain the lead. Ooms finished with 6 kills in the set.

Lawrence Tech hit .255 to Goshen's .053 for the match and finished with an 11-3 edge in blocks. Both sides recorded more than 40 digs.

The Maple Leafs will seek their first win Friday night in their first road match, a visit to Trinity Christian College in Illinois. First serve is set for 8 p.m. EST.

Tale of the Tape — Maple Leaf Men's Volleyball Firsts
Starters: Michael Wahl, Alexander Rabadzhiev, Christian Rodriguez, Nahshon Lora, Elias Baer, Andy Bennett; libero Nick Yutzy
Opening serve: Joshua Eckert (Lawrence Tech), 7:06 p.m.
Goshen point: Eckert service error, 1-0
Substitute: Lucas Sauder, after first point
Goshen server: Rabadzhiev, second point
Maple Leaf to touch a live ball: Rabadzhiev, second point
Kill: Baer, fifth point
Assist: Rodriguez, fifth point
Block: Sauder and Rodriguez, 47th point
Ace: Isaac Longenecker, 52nd point
Solo block: Bennett, 106th point