Box Score
For the third time in the first seven matches this season Lourdes University went the entire five sets, but on Tuesday night the Gray Wolves were successful for the first time, rallying to defeat Siena Heights 25-22, 19-25, 23-25, 25-22, 16-14 at Tam-o-Shanter in non-conference action.
 
With the win the Gray Wolves posted a victory for the second time in their last three matches overall.
 
“We were lucky to get out of this match with a win tonight,” head coach Greg Reitz stated after the match.  “Give Siena Heights all of the credit.  They battled us the entire way.”
 
For the sixth time in the seven matches this season, Lourdes jumped on top winning the opening set.  Four straight points, including a pair of service aces from Frank Craig (Jacksonville, Fla./Englewood H.S.) put the Gray Wolves on top for good, 10-8.  The Gray Wolves slowly extended the advantage, leading by as many as six, 22-16, before the Saints made a late run.
 
Lourdes held an early 7-4 lead in set two before Siena Heights mounted a furious rally.  A 9-3 run by the Saints put the visitors on top for good and they went on another 6-0 spurt after the Gray Wolves pulled within one at 13-12.  In set three Siena Heights raced out to an 11-3 lead and withstood a late Lourdes rally.  Trailing 21-12, Lourdes scored 11 of the next 14 points to close within one, 24-23, but the Gray Wolves could not pull out the victory.
 
Set four was close throughout with Lourdes holding a 15-11 lead before the Saints went on a 9-2 run to take a 20-17 advantage.  The Gray Wolves fought back though, scoring eight of the final 10 points to even the match at two sets each.
 
The fifth set went back and forth until Lourdes took advantage of a Siena Heights attack error to take an 8-7 lead.  The lead grew to three, 14-11, before the Saints erased three match points.  Chris Lockwood (Kailua, Hawaii/Poway [Calif.] H.S.) slammed down a kill to make it 15-14 Gray Wolves and an attack error by the guests ended the match.
 
Trevor Lund (Laguna Hills, Calif./Laguna Hills H.S.) and Nick DiMarco  (Torrance, Calif./South Torrance H.S.) led the way with 13 kills each for Lourdes while Lockwood added nine more.  Oliver Cizmazia (Bratislava, Slovakia/Metodova H.S.) handed out 36 assists while Brad Miller (Convoy, Ohio/Crestview H.S.) tallied 16 digs in the win.  Craig had a match-high seven blocks.
 
Lourdes hit just .165 as a team and was out-dug 52-40, but took advantage of 19 Saints service errors.
 
Juan Paternina-Villero led all players with 37 kills on 71 swings for Siena Heights (0-8), hitting .310 for the match.  Paternina-Villero also had 14 digs.  Juan Sierra added 14 kills and 14 digs for the Saints.
 
“Juan put up a very impressive performance against us tonight,” Reitz added.  “That is one of the highest kill totals you are ever going to see.”
 
Lourdes (3-4) will now play its next 14 matches away from home, beginning with a MAMVIC East clash with #5 Saint Ambrose on Friday evening.  First serve is slated for 8 p.m. EST in Davenport, Iowa.