Box Score GOSHEN, Ind. — Ian Fox recorded six blocks and Alexander Rabadzhiev led all players with 13 kills Wednesday night as Goshen College swept Indiana Tech in each team's Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference men's volleyball opener.
The Maple Leafs (1-1, 1-0) won the final two points of each of the first two sets to split a pair of 23-23 ties, then used a 5-0 run to turn the tables in the final set of a 25-23, 25-23, 25-21 win.
Michael Wahl led all players with 36 assists for Goshen, which also got 9 kills from Andy Bennett and 8 from Elias Baer to go along with 6 from Fox. Rabadzhiev and Jack Paraha each added 2 blocks.
Chase Christiansen joined Paraha as one of two players with multiple service aces. Daynte Stewart and Mason Milan each accumulated 9 kills for the Warriors (3-4, 0-1), who also got 7 winners from Christiansen and Joey Hermes.
Chandler Davis led Indiana Tech with 32 aces and 2 blocks.
"I thought we played well," said Goshen head coach Jim Daugherty. "The guys held their composure in each set as we came from behind all three times. Our middles had a great match and every one of our players contributed. It was a good team win."
Indiana Tech took a 9-6 lead in the first set, only to give it right back as the Maple Leafs tied things at 11. Neither team led by more than two points the rest of the way. When a service error put Tech up 23-21, Paraha's ace and kill were part of a 4-0 run that ended the set.
A 5-1 Warrior run put Indiana Tech up 11-9 in the second set, only for the Maple Leafs to answer with eight of the next 10 points to go up 17-13. The teams traded points for the next dozen rallies to get it to 22-20 before an error and a Christiansen kill leveled the score. Fox killed one ball and blocked the next with Rabadzhiev to finish the set.
Indiana Tech jumped out to a 7-2 edge in the third, but Goshen had another 8-2 run up its sleeve, culminating with two Elias Baer winners to flip the lead at 15-14. Indiana Tech never rebounded to tie the score, although the Warriors got back within a point at three occasions. Wahl and Rabadzhiev had kills on two of the last three points to end the match.
The Maple Leafs will continue their quest for WHAC domination Saturday at Aquinas College in a 1 p.m. match. Their next home game is Monday at 7 p.m. against Lincoln College.