Grand Rapids, Mich. – The Lawrence Technological University men's volleyball team began its 2022 season on Friday with two matches at the Men's Michigan Volleyball Invitational (MMVI). The Blue Devils' first match was against Judson University, but after going up two sets to none, Lawrence Tech eventually fell in five sets (27-25, 27-25, 19-25, 23-25, 11-15).

Lawrence Tech responded to win its second match of the day in straight sets over Adrian (25-20, 25-21, 25-19) to earn a split on the day and pick up its first win of the season.

Match One vs Judson:

First Set:

• Jeffry Fuhrmann kill gives LTU first two-point cushion at 14-12
• After JU retied the match at 18-18, a Collin Holt service ace put LTU back ahead 23-22
• The teams alternated points until a JU attack error ended the first set

Second Set:

• LTU jumped out to a 13-7 advantage
• JU responded with a 9-3 run to knot the match at 16-16
• After JU pulled with one, LTU ripped off four straight on its way to taking set two 

Third Set:

• JU jumped out to an early 13-10 lead
• Simon Phillip set up Bartosz Rauch to cut the margin to one at 17-16
• JU responded by taking 4-of-5 to open up a 21-16 advantage on the way to winning the third set

Fourth Set:

• A Connor Cooper kill gave LTU a slim 11-10 lead
• JU answered to pull ahead 18-15, but an attack error trimmed the deficit to 18-17
• LTU trailed 24-21 late but pulled within one at 24-23 before a service error ended the comeback

Fifth Set:

• The teams traded points as the set stood tied at 8-8 halfway into the fifth
• A trio of errors plagued LTU as JU took 6-of-7 to make it match point at 14-9
• LTU won the next two points before a JU kill finished the set 15-11

Inside the Numbers:

36 – Assists by Phillip

19 – Digs by Holt

18 – Kills by Fuhrmann, match-high (also swung it at a .394 clip)

Match Two vs Adrian:

First Set:

• Felix Perez kill gives LTU a 12-9 advantage
• A Cooper block doubled the margin to six at 22-16
• An Adrian attack error closed out the set in LTU's favor 25-20

Second Set:

• A JT McCarthy kill put LTU ahead 15-10
• Three LTU errors pulled the Bulldogs within one at 17-16
• Adrian would give the points back with three straight errors of their own as LTU held a 21-16 lead
• Adrian cut it back to three, 24-21, but it was too late as a Fuhrmann kill gave the set to LTU

Third Set:

• A 5-1 run put the Blue Devils ahead 15-11
• Phillip found Fuhrmann to hold the LTU lead at 20-15
• Zach Narkiewicz made it match point at 24-17 before LTU closed out the set 25-19

Inside the Numbers:

32 – Assists by Phillip

13 – Digs by Holt

12 – Total blocks by LTU

9 – Kills by Fuhrmann, Narkiewicz, and Perez to diversify the LTU attack

The Blue Devils have two more matches at the MMVI tournament on Saturday as they take on Olivet Nazarene at 11 am before closing out their tournament against Cumberland University at 3 pm.