LISLE, IL - The fifth-ranked Benedictine University men's volleyball team opened the home slate with a split of five-set contests.

BENEDICTINE 3, FONTBONNE 2
19-25, 25-20, 25-22, 22-25, 15-11

THE DETAILS
• Benedictine struggled in the first set in both contests
• Fontbonne used a pair of four-point runs to gain control of the opening set
• Elijah Medlock opened a run of three in a row early in second followed by consecutive kills from Jacob Grygo
• Most of the second set was close until down 18-17, Grygo opened a run of seven straight that enabled Benedictine to seize the second
• Benedictine opened the third by pounding down three straight kills
• After the quick start, neither team would lead by more than two points until Grygo opened a stretch of three in a row late that enabled Benedictine to close out
• Benedictine led 8-3 in the fourth, but Fontbonne answered with five in a row
• The visitors answered every run until stringing together four in a row late to send the match to a fifth set
• Benedictine led 6-2 in the fifth and did not look back, ending the match on a kill from Medlock

STAT LEADERS
KILLS: Grygo (17), John Davis (15), Medlock (11)
ACES: Joe Lock (3)
BLOCKS: Nick Malak (7), Jacob Strande (5)
ASSISTS: Tim Folliard (27), Lock (26)
DIGS: Thomas Samaras (18), Malak (9)

AUGUSTANA 3, BENEDICTINE 2
25-19, 16-25, 25-23, 17-25, 15-9

THE DETAILS
• Augustana scored the first seven points of the match to set the tone and win the opener
• A serving error opened a stretch of five in a row as Benedictine grabbed a 7-4 edge in the second
• Augustana came back to tie the contest at 8-8 but a pair of four point runs finished by a Nick Malak kill helped Benedictine lead 19-11 en route to the win
• Neither team led by more than three in a tight third set as Augustana used four straight points late to win
• Chase Olson opened a run of four straight in the fourth that featured a pair of aces frm Joe Lock as Benedictine led 7-2 and opened a 16-5 lead, cruising to force the third five-set contest of the year
• With the fifth set even at 4-4, the visitors rolled off five in a row to lead 9-4
• Benedictine pulled within 10-8 on three consecutive miscues but Augustana notched five of the final six to knock off a second ranked foe this season

STAT LEADERS
KILLS: Malak (13), Davis (9), Medlock (8)
ACES: Lock (3)
BLOCKS: Strande (6), Davis (3), Chase Olson (3)
ASSISTS: Folliard (20), Lock (19)
DIGS: Malak (8), Samaras (7), Lock (6)

UP NEXT
Benedictine (3-3) plays at Aurora on Friday night in a non-conference contest