ROCKFORD, Ill. - The Rockford University men's volleyball team dropped a 3-0 (21-25, 21-25, 23-25) match to Illinois Tech to open NACC play Tuesday night. Rockford battled hard against the Scarlet Hawks, finishing even in blocks (5-5), assists (24-24), and digs (28-28), while Illinois Tech earned one kill more than the Regents (27-26). Rockford struggled in the errors column, creating the small difference on the score board, giving the Scarlet Hawks the win.
- Both sides were fighting to open the match, consistently trading points back and forth to the score of 13-13.
- Rockford captured the next two points, one off a Derek Jones kill, but then the lead fell apart. The Scarlet Hawks earned six-straight points to take the largest lead of the set at 19-15.
- Both sides traded points again to 21-19, but a late surge by Illinois Tech brought them to set point with the score at 24-19.
- A service error and an ace by Connor McNear was all the Regents could muster before Illinois Tech got the final kill of set one.
- The Scarlet Hawks jumped out to a 6-3 lead to open set two.
- Then, multiple attacking errors by IIT and a kill by Isaiah Dixon put the Regents on top 7-6 shortly after.
- Each team made multiple runs towards the middle of the set, starting with a 5-1 Illinois Tech run. Rockford quickly answered with a four-point run to claim a 16-14 lead.
- Illinois Tech took back the lead 18-16 with its own four-point run, only allowing the Regents to tie the game before pulling away for good.
- A kill by Isaiah Dixon cut the lead to one at 22-21, but the Scarlet Hawks escaped by scoring the final three points and winning the second set 25-21.
- Rockford was the aggressor for the start of set three, going up 7-4 thanks to a pair of kills contributed by Connor McNear.
- After taking the early lead, the Regents held it for nearly the entire set, looking strong with a 22-17 lead. Joaquin Santillan tallied three kills during the series while Isaiah Dixon recorded two kills and an ace.
- The lead quickly disappeared however, a 5-0 run by the Scarlet Hawks tied the game at 22, and after one more Rockford point, IIT finished off the comeback with three-straight points to win the third and final set, taking the match 25-23.
