TIGERVILLE, S.C. --- Freshman Hector Serviat turned in a season- and career-high 14 kills and junior Rudy Klaas notched six block assists, but the Lees-McRae men's volleyball team fell short to North Greenville, 18-25, 22-25, 26-24, 16-25, in Conference Carolinas action Tuesday evening at Hayes Gymnasium in Tigerville, S.C.
The Crusaders (6-4, 5-3 CC) swung better than .300 in every set while Matthew McManaway registered a team-high 12 kills. The Bobcats (0-9, 0-7) amassed 11 total blocks while junior John Sobel (Holbrook, N.Y.) led all players with 18 kills.
A pair of Sobel kills gave LMC an 8-7 lead early in the first set.
NGU ripped off a 6-0 run after Luuga Vailu'u and Caleb Arelus notched kills.
The Crusaders pushed the lead out to seven, 21-14, despite a combined block from Serviat (Miami, Fla.) and Klaas (Dakar, Senegal).
Serviat picked up another block assist to cut the deficit to six, 24-18, but NGU's Connor Rhine concluded the set with one of his five kills. The Crusaders swung a match-best .571 in the frame.
Serviat and Sobel provided strong play in the second to push the Bobcats to an 8-5 lead.
NGU took a 21-16 lead after a 16-8 run.
LMC hung tight and cut the deficit to two, 24-22, after consecutive attack errors from Vailu'u.
The Crusaders grabbed the set on the next play following a Jon Childes kill.
The third set was the most entertaining of the evening while neither team led by two.
Coach Henry Chuang's squad shook the road rust and produced a 4-0 run, capped off by a Drew Blecher (York, Pa.) ace, to fend off match point twice and win the third, 26-24.
Blecher dished out 38 assists.
Junior Mark Shayka (Hamilton, Va.) tallied one of his seven kills to give LMC a 10-8 lead.
The Crusaders clamped down and went on a 17-6 run to claim the set and match.
Junior Keenan Freitas (Hilo, Hawaii) led the team with five digs.
LMC travels to Mount Olive Friday, Feb. 19 at 7 p.m. for a CC tilt in Mount Olive, N.C.
- LMC -
