Box Score 1 | Box Score 2
Lourdes closed out play at the Stritch Wolves Invitational on Saturday afternoon, dropping a three-set match to seventh-ranked Clarke before topping Robert Morris (Ill.) in five sets at Panella Court in Milwaukee, Wis.
 
The Gray Wolves fell by a score of 25-23, 25-22, 25-17 against Clarke while defeating Robert Morris 21-25, 25-23, 16-25, 25-16, 15-6.
 
Opening the day against their third ranked opponent in as many matches, the Gray Wolves saw Clarke hit .320 in the straight sets victory. 
 
The first set was close throughout as there were nine ties and three lead changes, with neither team ever holding a lead of more than three.  The Gray Wolves fought off a pair of set points trailing 24-21 but was unable to tally the final point needed to extend the set.
 
The Gray Wolves scored the first six points of set two behind the serve of Ryan Ferkel (Kimberly, Wis./Kimberly H.S.) but Clarke fought back.  The Crusaders tied the score at 13 and forged ahead 19-15 with a 7-2 run, and never trailed the rest of the way.
 
Clarke led wire-to-wire in the final set.  Lourdes was within two at 17-15, but the Crusaders scored eight of the final 10 points to earn the victory.
 
Frank Craig (Jacksonville, Fla./Englewood H.S.) led Lourdes with 15 kills and hit .440 in the loss while Garrett Jones (Las Vegas, Nev./Las Vegas H.S.) tallied 11 kills.  As a team the Gray Wolves hit .238 for the match.  CJ Rilveria (Kula, Hawaii/Kekaulike H.S.) led Lourdes with nine digs while Ferkel and Brad Miller (Convoy, Ohio/Crestview H.S.) added eight each.
 
Joe Biros and Tyler Wills each had 12 kills to lead Clarke (14-2).  Wills hit .414 and had a team-high 12digs as well.
 
Despite going five sets against Robert Morris, there was never one lead change in any set of the match.  The Eagles scored the first three points of set one and never trailed while taking the opening set.
 
The Gray Wolves answered in set two, notching 16 kills, to even the match.  Lourdes scored the first five points behind the serve of Jones before Robert Morris battled back to tie the set at 20.  The Gray Wolves never wavered though, pulling out a two-point win.
 
Robert Morris took a quick 13-6 lead in the third and never looked back, building a 2-1 lead in the match.  The Eagles hit .312 in the stanza while holding Lourdes to just .091.  It was a role reversal in the fourth as the Gray Wolves hit .333 while Robert Morris swung at a .049 clip as Lourdes forced the deciding set. 
 
The fifth set was tied at three before Lourdes seized control, scoring 12 of the final 15 points.  The Gray Wolves hit .455 with just two errors while Robert Morris committed six miscues and hit -.286. 
 
Clark led the Gray Wolves with 20 kills while Craig added 13 more.  Julian Rivera (Bayamon, P.R./Wesleyan Academy) hit .588 with 11 kills.  Miller registered 16 digs while Chris Lockwood (San Diego, Calif./Poway H.S.) tallied six blocks.
 
Taylor Magorien led Robert Morris (4-9) with 15 kills while Stephen Hewitt had 10 kills and 12 digs.
 
Lourdes (9-3) will have two weeks off before returning to action on Feb. 28 at home against Siena Heights in non-conference action.  First serve against the Saints is set for 7 p.m. at Tam-o-Shanter.