Askoul, Defense Power Blue Devils to Sweep of Rochester Christian
| Set 1 | Set 2 | Set 3 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BLU | 25 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
| ROC | 13 | 12 | 14 | 0 |
SOUTHFIELD, Mich. — Lawrence Tech University men’s volleyball turned in a dominant all-around performance Tuesday night, sweeping Rochester Christian University 3-0 (25-13, 25-12, 25-14) in a non-conference matchup at Don Ridler Field House.
The Blue Devils controlled the match from the opening serve, finishing with a 34-12 edge in kills and hitting .343 as a team while holding Rochester Christian to a -.185 attack percentage. Lawrence Tech also doubled the visitors at the net, totaling 8 team blocks to Rochester Christian’s 4 and limiting the Warriors’ offense to just one player with more than two kills.
Akram Askoul led the Lawrence Tech attack, posting a match-high 13 points on 8 kills, 3 blocks and 1 service ace. Efficient throughout the night, Askoul needed only 14 swings to reach his kill total and was a key presence in both the front row and from the service line as the Blue Devils set the tone early in the opening set.
Setter Troy Horvath directed the Blue Devils’ balanced offense with 16 assists and added 2 kills of his own as Lawrence Tech collected 32 assists on 34 kills. The Blue Devils’ ball control and first-contact execution helped them out-dig Rochester Christian 34-24 and consistently stay in system, allowing multiple hitters to contribute and keeping the Warriors’ block off balance.
Lawrence Tech used that efficiency to take the first set 25-13, then tightened its grip in the second with a 25-12 decision before closing out the sweep 25-14 in the third. Behind steady serving — including 4 aces on the night — and strong block-touch coverage, the Blue Devils never allowed Rochester Christian to build sustained momentum, limiting any extended rallies by converting in transition and siding out at a high rate.
Rochester Christian was led by Josh Eaton, who accounted for much of the visitors’ offense with 9 kills and 9.5 points on 32 swings. Jonathan Chow paced the Warriors’ setting effort with 11 assists and added both of the team’s service aces, finishing with 2.5 points.
With the straight-sets victory, the Blue Devils added a convincing non-conference win in front of a crowd of 50 and built momentum heading into the heart of the spring slate, backed by an efficient offense, active blocking and a standout outing from Askoul and Horvath.
