GOSHEN, Ind. — The Goshen College men's volleyball team set a program single-match record with eight blocks Saturday afternoon in a four-set loss to Lincoln College at Gunden Gymnasium.

Andy Bennett and Lucas Sauder posted four blocks apiece while Alexander Rabadzhiev had three to go with a season-high 18 kills in the 20-25, 25-23, 25-18, 25-23 defeat.

All six Goshen starters had at least one block and everyone who played added a dig for the Maple Leafs (1-4). Christian Rodriguez led the team with 13 digs, two more than libero Isaac Longenecker.

GC kept the Lynx (0-1) to four points on their own serve in Lincoln's first set as an NAIA member; the Maple Leafs used 3-0, 5-1 and 4-0 spurts to pull in front after ties before ending the set on two Rabadzhiev kills. While Lincoln finished with 14 kills to Goshen's 10 in the first set, the visitors also posted 11 hitting errors to the hosts' 2.

The second set started out much like the first, with Goshen taking an early 8-4 lead and holding that margin until 12-8. The Lynx got their first run of the match, sparked by a kill and a block from Deantrius Coleman, to reel off six straight points across the midpoint of the set and leading 14-12 on a Nick Washington ace. The Maple Leafs got back within one point on five occasions, tied the set twice, and served to send the set to extra points at 24-23, but a GC attack error allowed Lincoln to level the match.

Lincoln had its best hitting percentage of the match in the third set, putting down 18 kills against 7 errors for a .212 clip as it took the lead. Ramon Matos recorded four kills and Corey Poindexter had three in the first half of the set, which included two four-point Lynx runs and culminated with the visitors holding a five-point lead. Goshen answered by taking six of eight points later on, getting back within 19-16 on kills by Rabadzhiev and Rodriguez, but a pair of attack miscues ensured that the hosts would get no closer.

Goshen erased an early 5-1 deficit in the fourth stanza, which produced the afternoon's most equitable action as each team hit north of .200. A Rodriguez kill and blocks by Sauder and Elias Baer leveled the score at 9, although the Maple Leafs never actually led as Lincoln claimed three of the next four points.

Four Poindexter kills in the span of seven rallies gave Lincoln a 20-14 lead, only for Goshen to answer with nine of the next 11 points; a three-point run on Sauder's serve ended with a Lynx attack error and the Maple Leafs in front 23-22, two points from leveling the match.

Unfortunately for GC, the fifth varsity match in program history was not destined to be the first five-setter; Lincoln pulled level on a service error and took the next two points to end the match in an hour and 42 minutes.

Matos finished with 17 kills to lead the Lynx, adding a double-double with 15 digs. Bryan Orellana recorded the match high in the latter category, posting 19 digs to go with his team-leading 27 assists. Poindexter chipped in 14 kills and Charles Carter had 11 while Washington had both of the team's aces to go with 20 assists.

Goshen finished with 8 blocks to Lincoln's 3, marking the first time that the Maple Leafs have recorded more blocks than their opponent. Michael Wahl's 32 assists led all players.

Up Next: Goshen concludes its four-match homestand Monday night with a visit from Cincinnati Christian University. First serve is set for 7 p.m. before the Maple Leafs play their next five matches in the Chicago area later in the week.