Lakeland College

Muskie run falls short in semis

Athletics - posted on 2/19/2012

The Lakeland College men's volleyball team lost in the semifinals of the silver bracket on day two of the Hoosier-Illini Classic in Champaign, Ill.

The Muskies (8-11) lost to the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in three sets, 2-1 (29-27, 24-26, 13-15). Freshman outside hitter Alec Redlich (Wauwatosa, Wis.) finished with a team-high 13 kills, while freshman right side Braden Woods (Downers Grove, Ill.) and sophomore middle hitters Ralph Kokoszka (Palos Heights, Ill.) and Matt Bilinski (Batavia, Ill.) each tallied five kills. Senior libero Andrew Cheever (Greenfield, Wis.) led the defense with eight digs.

In their first match of the day, Lakeland defeated Adrian College in two games, 2-0 (25-19, 25-21). Kokoszka and Bilinski (Batavia, Ill.) were a force offensively, collecting nine and six kills respectively.

In their quarterfinal match against Northern Illinois University, the Muskies defeated the Huskies in two games, 2-0 (26-24, 25-18). Redlich played well, recording a team-high 17 kills. The team defense played solid, collecting 29 digs.

"The guys played really well today and I am happy with their performance," said Lakeland head coach Joe Julkowski. "Our intensity was good and we have a lot of fun. We are getting better at all of the little things and making strides towards being a top ten contender."

Lakeland returns to action on Saturday, Feb. 25, as the Muskies host Wisconsin Volleyball Conference foe UW-Stout for a varsity doubleheader beginning at 11 a.m.

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