Box Score
Lourdes took to the road for the first time in the 2013 season on Friday evening, but the Gray Wolves came up short against IPFW, falling in three close sets 25-22, 27-25, 25-20 at the Gates Sports Center in Fort Wayne, Ind.
 
The Gray Wolves outhit, outblocked, and outdug the Mastodons, but IPFW registered eight service aces, six more than Lourdes, and the Gray Wolves committed 18 service errors in the contest.
 
“We outplayed them in almost every aspect except serving tonight,” head coach Greg Reitz stated after the match.  “We didn't pass that poorly tonight, but it seems some of the mistakes we did make came at the wrong time.”
 
Lourdes jumped on top early in the match against the first NCAA Division I opponent the Gray Wolves have faced in program history, scoring the first four points.  Oliver Cizmazia (Bratislava, Slovakia/Metodova H.S.) tallied back-to-back aces, part of a 7-2 start for Lourdes.  IPFW fought back to tie the opening set at 10 and the set remained close most of the way.  With eight ties and three lead changes, the Mastodons did not take the lead for good until 20-19.
 
In set two, the Gray Wolves fell behind early and trailed 11-8 before making a run.  Five straight points, four off of Cizmazia's serve, put Lourdes on top by two.  Like the first set, the second would go back and forth, with eight more ties and four lead changes.  The Gray Wolves had a set point at 25-24, but a pair of errors and a Mastodon service ace put the hosts up two sets to none.
 
The final set was just as close as the first two, with 10 ties in it.  IPFW took a 12-9 advantage only to have Lourdes go on a 7-2 run to take a 16-14 lead of its own.  The set was tied at 19 before the Mastodons scored six of the final seven points to close out the match.
 
As a team Lourdes hit .299, its highest percentage of the season to date.  Nick DiMarco (Torrance, Calif./South Torrance H.S.) hit .391 with 12 kills while Frank Craig (Jacksonvile, Fla./Englewood H.S.) hit .500 and Zander Epps (San Diego, Calif./Eastlake H.S.) swung at a .444 rate with five kills from each.
 
“We hit extremely well and competed tough all night,” Reitz added.
 
Cizmazia handed out 36 assists for the Gray Wolves while Trevor Lund (Laguna Hills, Calif./Laguna Hills H.S.) registered five blocks and nine digs.
 
Bryan Saunders led IPFW (3-2) with 11 kills while Anthony Randolph added 10 kills and five blocks.  The Mastodons hit .233 as a team.
 
“This was a good match for us to play at this point in the season,” Reitz stated.  “We played a quality opponent at a higher level than us, competed well, and had chances to win.  This match should help us down the road.”
 
Lourdes (1-2) will return home next Saturday afternoon, Feb. 2, to host Saint Ambrose.  First serve is slated for 1 p.m. at Tam-o-Shanter.