Eutectics have to settle for weekend split after falling to Mount Mercy in four

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA – Mount Mercy ran their current winning streak to five with a win over UHSP on Saturday afternoon in four sets, 25-22, 25-20, 29-31, 25-15. It turned out to be a 2-0 weekend for the Mustangs after they knocked off Missouri Baptist the day before their win over UHSP. MMU took the first two sets and nearly earned the sweep as they staved off six Eutectics set points in the third before UHSP finally managed to get two points in a row to salvage the third. The Mustangs dominated the fourth set after the first eight points to improve to 12-2 overall.

GAME HIGHLIGHTS:

MOUNT MERCY DEF. UHSP; 25-22, 25-20, 29-31, 25-15

• The opening set was tied at the first five possible junctures and after MMU took an 8-5 lead, UHSP rattled off five in a row to grab a 10-8 advantage. Cameron Werner and Cooper Hansen had kills in the 5-0 run and RJ Dilks added a pair of aces. It was tied late at 16-16 and 17-17, but the Mustangs went on a 5-2 run to grab a 22-19 lead with the teams trading the last six points of the set. Both team hit well in the set as MMU had a .297 attack percentage and UHSP sitting at .242, but the Mustangs had four more kills than the Eutectics in the set.
• Set two was more of a set of runs as UHSP took a 4-1 lead to open the set. Four straight by the Mustangs put them on top 5-4, but the Eutectics responded by taking seven of the next 11 to lead 11-9. Grant Hoover, Maxwell McVickers and Dickson Colado had kills in that run and Hoover added an ace. Leading 15-12 after a Hansen kill, the UHSP offense sputtered the rest of the set. Mount Mercy took six of the next nine and then went on a 4-0 run to lead 22-18. The Eutectics could only find two more points and dropped the set 25-20. It was the best attacking set for the Eutectics to the tune at .300, but MMU (.263 for the set) had three more kills.
• The third set offered nine ties through the first 12 possible spots and was 12-12 when a 3-0 Mustang run gave either team their first three-point lead. Six ties later, an Austin Ewens service ace broke a 23-23 split and gave the Eutectics a 24-23 advantage and set point. The two teams alternated points over the ensuing dozen as UHSP had seven set points sitting on a 30-29 lead, unable to close out any of the previous six. McVickers was able to kill away to give UHSP the set and force a fourth. The Eutectics were able to overcome 19 kills in the set from MMU, having just 12 of their own, but only four UHSP errors helped in securing the set.
• Dilks set up Colado for an early kill in the fourth as Mount Mercy led 5-3. The next seven in a row went the way of MMU as they took a 12-3 lead and another 5-2 run gave the Mustangs a commanding 17-5 lead. Sitting at 19-8, Werner had a pair of kills, Colado added another and David Quiñones had an ace as UHSP took five straight to close to within six at 19-13, but MMU won six of the final eight to close it out.
• UHSP lost the match but still hit .202 for the match. MMU connected at .268. The Mustangs had 14 more kills than the Eutectics (60-46).
• Grant Hoover led UHSP with 13 kills, but had nine hitting errors to finish with an attack percentage at .089. Cameron Werner finished with ten kills and had a .421 hitting percentage.
• RJ Dilks finished with a season-high 37 assists and Xavier Gamayo led the defense with 13 digs.
• Curdin Acklin finished with a match-high 18 kills for MMU and added eight digs. Gustavo Kehl Bauer dished out 50 assists in the win.

NEXT UP:

The Eutectics (7-9, 4-6 HEART) continue their trip through HEART Conference play as they welcome Culver-Stockton (1-15, 0-8 HEART) to town on Tuesday. UHSP took down the Wildcats in five sets back on February 10. Then on Saturday, UHSP will host both Kansas Wesleyan and Governors State. The Eutectics already own a five-set win over the Coyotes back on Valentine's Day and their previous match with Governors State was postponed.