CHICAGO, Ill. – Lawrence Tech men's volleyball closed its trip to the Saint Xavier Tri-Match in decisive fashion Friday night, sweeping St. Thomas (Fla.) 3-0 behind an efficient offensive performance at the Shannon Center. The Blue Devils controlled the first two sets and held off a late push in the third for a 25-17, 25-18, 28-26 victory.
Lawrence Tech's attack was the difference throughout, as the Blue Devils hit .450 as a team with 45 kills against just nine errors on 80 swings. In contrast, St. Thomas finished with 34 kills and 21 errors, hitting .165. The Blue Devils also doubled the Bobcats at the net with an 8-4 advantage in team blocks and added five service aces, using the combination of pressure from the service line and balance on the pins to stay in control.
The opening set belonged to Lawrence Tech from the early stages, sparked by middle blocker Yegor Volkov at the service line. Volkov delivered two aces during an early run that created separation, and the Blue Devils' block slowed the St. Thomas offense enough to keep the Bobcats out of system. With the lead firmly in hand late, setter Pedro Aguiar went to the middle as Akram Askoul put away the final swing to close out a 25-17 first-set win.
The Blue Devils maintained that momentum into the second set, again dictating play with a clean side-out game and steady pressure in transition. Lawrence Tech's hitters continued to find seams in the block, and the Blue Devils limited St. Thomas to 18 points in the frame. Opposite/outside hitter Noah Lippman capped the set with a kill, finishing a composed Blue Devil performance in a 25-18 decision that put Lawrence Tech up 2-0 in the match.
St. Thomas responded in the third with its best stretch of the night, producing multiple ties and lead changes as the set moved deep into extra points. Lawrence Tech's offense continued to answer, with Lippman providing timely kills and added pressure from the service line to keep the Blue Devils even. The Blue Devils' block and backcourt defense generated key transition opportunities, and after both sides traded sideouts, the match ended when a St. Thomas attack sailed long on the final rally, giving Lawrence Tech the 28-26 win and completing the sweep.
Outside hitter Gustavo Martini led the Blue Devils with 10 kills on 22 swings, hitting .318 while adding four digs and three block assists. Volkov was highly efficient in the middle with eight kills on 11 attempts, hitting .636 to go with three total blocks and two early aces that set the tone. On the pins, Mario Cid added nine kills and an ace, while Lippman chipped in multiple late-set kills and aces that were pivotal in the third-set comeback. As a unit, the Blue Devils collected 41 assists and 22 digs to support the .450 team hitting mark.
For St. Thomas, Cameron Gray finished with a team-high 10 kills and hit .412 with six digs, while Gabriel Negrao added eight kills and one ace but was limited by the Blue Devils' block and backcourt defense. Lawrence Tech will continue their weekend with a match up against St. Xavier tomorrow as they continue play in the Saint Xavier Tri-Match.
