MOUNT VERNON, Ohio - The Mount Vernon Nazarene Cougars eliminated the Goshen men's volleyball team from earning a spot in the Wolverine Hoosier Athletic Conference Tournament with a 3-2 win on Wednesday night. The Maple Leafs lost 25-19, 18-25, 19-25, 25-23, 14-16.

In their previous matchup this season, Goshen won in five sets at home. MVNU was able to do the same at their site.

The Leafs led 21-18 and won four of the last five points to take the first set. They continued to lead in the second set, but the momentum in the match started to shift then.

With Daniel Skrzypchak serving, the Cougars took a two-point deficit and turned it into a six-point advantage. They ended the set on a 10-1 run and won 25-18.

Mount Vernon carried the momentum into the third set by starting with an 18-11 lead. Goshen went on a 6-2 run, but MVNU called a timeout and regrouped. They won five of the last seven points to win 25-19.

Suddenly, the Maple Leafs erupted with a 12-2 start in the fourth set. The Cougars still came back to fight, but Goshen held off and won 25-23.

Goshen needed to win the fifth set to keep their playoff chances alive. MVNU was ahead 8-3 when GC rallied to go up 10-9. But Mount Vernon concluded their final home game of the season with a 16-14 win in the last set, taking the match 3-2.

The latest NAIA coaches poll was released earlier in the day, which had Goshen receiving votes yet again. Mount Vernon Nazarene ended a skid of four straight WHAC losses and picked up their first win ever against Goshen. Head coach Lauren Ford said that the Cougars simply wanted it more than the Maple Leafs.

Lucas Sauder led Goshen with 19 kills, three aces, and two blocks. Michael Wahl had 43 assists and 14 digs. Christian Rodriguez contributed nine kills and 14 digs. Alexander Rabadzhiev recorded 17 kills and an ace.

With two of the better defensive teams in the NAIA, the game would come down to which offense could perform best. MVNU (11-13, 4-9 WHAC) narrowly won the kills category 63-57 and posted a hitting percentage of .273, whereas Goshen's was .223.

The Maple Leafs (19-9, 6-7 WHAC) are now eliminated from the WHAC Tournament. However, they still have a chance to win their 20th match of the season at home on Saturday during Senior Day. Goshen will challenge Cornerstone on March 26 at 3:00 pm, but the seniors will be recognized before the match. We hope you can celebrate our seniors with us then!