CRAWFORDSVILLE, Ind. — Wabash College came up short in a pivotal Midwest Collegiate Volleyball League showdown Friday evening, falling 3-0 to Calvin University at Chadwick Court as the Little Giants were unable to capitalize on a late lead in the opening set and keep pace with the league-leading Knights.
Calvin earned the conference victory by set scores of 28-26, 25-20, 25-19 to improve to 18-3 overall and 6-1 in MCVL play. Wabash, which entered the contest trailing the Knights by a half game in the league standings, dropped to 7-10 overall and 4-2 in conference action.
The Knights controlled much of the statistical comparison, hitting .265 as a team while holding Wabash to a .215 attack percentage. Calvin also finished with a 10-7 advantage in total team blocks and edged the Little Giants 4-3 in service aces.
Wabash produced 39 kills to Calvin's 35 and held a 62-47 advantage in digs but was hindered by 19 attack errors compared to 13 by the Knights.
Junior outside hitter Zev Wolverton turned in the most efficient performance for the Little Giants, recording 10 kills on 11 swings for a .909 hitting percentage. Junior outside hitter Bawibawi Thang added a team-high 11 kills, while freshman middle blocker Jaden Greenwell finished with six kills and contributed at the net with multiple blocks.
Sophomore setter Matthew Stitle dished out 33 assists to lead the Wabash offense, while sophomore libero Piotr Wolan anchored the defense with 20 digs.
Calvin placed three players in double figures, led by Daniel Rua with 11 kills and a .450 attack percentage. Gabriel Laughlin and Nick Bultje added eight kills apiece, with Bultje also contributing five block assists as part of the Knights' strong net play.
The opening set featured a tightly contested battle with 13 ties and five lead changes. Neither team led by more than four points as the score seesawed throughout. Wabash erased a late deficit and took a 26-25 lead on a Thang kill, putting the Little Giants one point away from claiming the set. Calvin answered immediately, however, scoring three consecutive points behind two kills from Daniel Rua and a Wabash error to steal the 28-26 victory.
Calvin seized control early in the second set, which featured only one tie and no lead changes. The Knights used a decisive 7-0 run to turn a 1-1 score into an 8-1 advantage, forcing Wabash to play from behind the remainder of the frame. The Little Giants trimmed the deficit to three points on multiple occasions, including at 18-15, but Calvin responded each time and closed out the set 25-20 behind efficient offense and strong net play.
The third set included 14 ties and four lead changes as Wabash battled to extend the match. The teams were even at 10-10 and later at 17-17 before Calvin delivered the decisive stretch. The Knights used an 8-2 run to close the match, highlighted by consecutive service aces and several attack errors by Wabash, to secure the 25-19 win and complete the sweep.
Wabash returns to Chadwick Court on Saturday for another key MCVL matchup, hosting Trine University at 1 p.m. The Thunder enter the contest tied with Calvin atop the conference standings after a 3-0 road win at Spalding on Friday evening.
