SOUTHFIELD, Mich. - #13 Bethel University (Ind.) defeated Lawrence Tech 3-0 on Saturday afternoon at Don Ridler Fieldhouse, taking a tight Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference match 25-23, 25-22, 25-23. Despite pushing each set deep into the closing points, the Blue Devils could not find the late run needed to extend the match.
Lawrence Tech stayed within reach throughout the opening set after falling behind 18-12 on a Bethel ace by Uros Miloradovic. The Blue Devils rallied back to level the score late, but Santana Roybal-Benson answered with a kill for a 24-23 Bethel lead, and Thomas Dunkley followed with the set-ending kill. The second set was similarly close. Dunkley delivered an ace during a 13-13 momentum swing, and Lawrence Tech remained within striking distance until a late service error by Yegor Volkov put Bethel at set point, 24-22. An attack error on the final rally gave Bethel the 25-22 win and a two-set advantage.
The third set followed the same pattern. Bethel grabbed an early edge behind a service ace from McGwire Eigenrauch and later moved ahead 21-17 after a ball-handling error. Lawrence Tech again fought back, but the visitors closed the match on the final rally when an attack error gave Bethel the 25-23 set win. All three sets were decided by three points or fewer, underscoring how narrow the margin was throughout the afternoon.
Bethel finished with 40 kills and a .293 hitting percentage, while Lawrence Tech posted 41 kills and hit .250. The Blue Devils also recorded 37 assists, 21 digs and four total blocks, but they were hurt by 12 service errors and did not record an ace. Bethel had 38 assists, three aces and six total blocks, numbers that helped the visitors control the closing stretches.
Volkov led Lawrence Tech with 15 kills and 15 points, and Pedro Aguiar added 35 assists in directing the offense. For Bethel, Dunkley produced a match-high 17 kills and 18.5 points, Eigenrauch handed out 38 assists, and Roybal-Benson was especially efficient with 10 kills on a .769 hitting percentage. The loss came in front of an announced crowd of 60.
Lawrence Tech now turns its attention to Tuesday, March 31, when the Blue Devils host Cornerstone in their final home match of the season. The matchup will also serve as Senior Day for the Blue Devils.
