GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (LourdesAthletics.com) --Â The Lourdes University men's volleyball team put up a strong fight but ultimately fell to Cornerstone University in four sets, 25-18, 25-23, 16-25, 25-17, on Tuesday night inside Mol Arena in Grand Rapids, Mich. The Gray Wolves secured a third-set victory but were unable to extend the match as the Golden Eagles closed out the contest in the fourth.
Vinicius Lopez led the Lourdes attack with a match-high 22 kills while hitting .400, marking his second consecutive 20-plus kill performance. Jaber Badarne added 10 kills, and Joey Bianco ran the offense efficiently, dishing out 33 assists while also contributing 11 digs. Defensively, Brayden Moyars anchored the back row with a team-best 18 digs.
After dropping the opening set, Lourdes nearly evened the match in the second, but Cornerstone held off a late Gray Wolf push to take a 2-0 lead. The Gray Wolves responded with their best offensive performance in the third, hitting .310 as they extended the match behind Lopez's dominant attacking display. However, the Golden Eagles rebounded in the fourth, committing zero attack errors while hitting .478 to close out the match.
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With the loss, Lourdes falls to 3-5Â on the season and 1-2Â in WHAC play. The Gray Wolves will look to bounce back when they return home to host Goshen on Friday at 7Â p.m. inside the Ebeid Recreation Center.
