GOSHEN, Ind. - The Goshen men's volleyball team concluded their 2023 season with a four set victory over Lawrence Tech on Senior Day. Juan Llama and Ian Fox were recognized before the match.

The Blue Devils struggled in the first set, and the Maple Leafs started with a 6-1 lead before winning 25-18. GC led 24-19 in the second set, but allowed four straight points to where LTU was within one. After a timeout, the Leafs scored the next point to win 25-23.

Goshen had a 23-22 lead in the third set but Lawrence Tech took the next three points to win 25-23 and stopped the potential bid of a GC sweep. The visitors continued the momentum in the fourth set by getting off to an 8-3 lead. However, the Maple Leafs scored 13 of the next 18 points and capitalized in crunch time with a 27-25 win.

The Leafs had a season-high six solo blocks - doubling the previous best that had been done twice this season. Christian Rodriguez had two and Ishmail Bangura, Juan Llama, Andy Bennett, and Hasan Hadzic each had one. Hadzic had 17 kills, a .414 hitting percentage, two aces, and five total blocks. Bangura had 11 kills, three aces, six digs, and three block assists. Rodriguez totaled eight kills with a .429 hitting percentage. Wyatt Bollinger had 47 assists.

With his block at 1-0 in the fourth set, Andy Bennett became the first Goshen College player to record 400 career blocks. He has five of the top six blocking seasons in Maple Leafs men's volleyball history and has added to that list with 76 blocks this season. He is also the only person who has played in all 124 matches in program history.

The Leafs are 4-1 against Lawrence Tech in their last five meetings. Goshen ends the season with a 7-11 record in the WHAC - just missing out on the six-team tournament. They finished the year 9-12 and were 5-2 in their final seven matches.

Read below to see what was said for the Senior Day recognition before the match.

Goshen Men's Volleyball Senior Day Remarks

Fans, we would now like to recognize our 2023 men's volleyball seniors. 

Please direct your attention to the court, where we are joined by Director of Athletics Dr. Erica Albertin, interim head coach Jewel Lehman, interim assistant coach Val Hershberger, and our beloved Dash!

First, we would like to take a moment to recognize four individuals that were honored last season or at their previous school. Coach Lehman says, "We would like to thank our fifth-year seniors for everything they have contributed during their time at Goshen and for staying another year. We deeply appreciate these men and their leadership on and off the court.  It was essential this year." Please give a round of applause for Andy Bennett, Wyatt Bollinger, Matias da Fonseca and Christian Rodriguez!

Being recognized today are Juan Llama and Ian Fox. Juan and Ian have demonstrated full lives of faith, unity, learning, and leadership during their time as Goshen College student-athletes. Their legacies are cemented into the history of Goshen College and they will forever be Maple Leafs.

First to be recognized is #10, Juan Llama. Juan is escorted by his friend, teammate, and fellow Puerto Rico native Christian Rodriguez. Juan is a four-year member of the men's volleyball program from Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico. He is a sustainable food management major, and he plans to return home to Puerto Rico to help communities live through sustainable agriculture so that people can prosper and benefit from agriculture within the island. Juan saw more playing time in 2022 but has made even more significant contributions in 2023. This season he has played in 57 sets and has 85 kills, 26 digs, 23 block assists, two solo blocks, and six aces. He had a career-high 12 kills at Bethel and another personal best of six blocks at home against Aquinas. Coach Lehman says, "Juan is a tough and adaptable competitor and has improved his game tremendously during his time here. He is strong, flexible, and works very hard in practice and matches. He has been one of the few members of this team who helped shape the program from near the beginning." Thank you, Juan!

Next up is #1, Ian Fox! He is escorted by his father, Tracy Fox, and his mother, Lisa Fox. Ian is a four-year team member from Fox Lake, Illinois. He has played in 276 sets throughout his career in Goshen, totaling 249 total blocks, 211 block assists, 38 solo blocks, 295 kills, and 0.9 blocks per set. He is second in school history in total blocks, solo blocks, block assists, and blocks per set. Ian is a kinesiology major and plans to get a graduate assistant job coaching and getting his master's degree for athletic training. Lehman says, "Ian is a vocal, energetic leader on and off the court. He can see what is happening on the court and how to pick apart the opponent. He is passionate about the sport, has a positive attitude, and pushes everyone on the team to do their best. While he was disappointed not to be in the game as much this year, he also contributed a lot from the sidelines." Thank you, Ian!

Fans, please help me give a round of applause to your 2023 men's volleyball seniors!