Lourdes holds off Lawrence Tech in four-set match
| Set 1 | Set 2 | Set 3 | Set 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LAW | 21 | 23 | 26 | 23 | 1 |
| LOU | 25 | 25 | 24 | 25 | 3 |
SYLVANIA, Ohio - Lawrence Tech pushed the match to a fourth set Saturday afternoon, but Lourdes closed it out late for a 3-1 victory in front of 244 fans. Lourdes won 25-21, 25-23, dropped the third set 26-24, then answered with a 25-23 decision in the fourth to seal the match.
The decisive moment came at the end of the fourth set, when Jaber Badarne finished the match with a kill off an assist from Joey Bianco. That capped another strong outing from Badarne, who led Lourdes with 21 kills on a .356 hitting percentage and added four total blocks. Bianco directed the attack with 48 assists, while also contributing four aces, four kills and three total blocks.
Lawrence Tech had its chances throughout the afternoon and actually finished with more kills, 57-53. Yegor Volkov led the Blue Devils with 22 kills, and Akram Askoul turned in one of the team’s most efficient performances with 13 kills on a .524 hitting percentage. Mario Cid added 11 kills and 11 digs as Lawrence Tech stayed within reach in each of the final three sets.
Lourdes established control early. Jaber Badarne helped set the tone in the opening set, and Jack McMurray delivered the set-ending kill for a 25-21 win. The second set was tighter, but Lourdes again found the last point, this time on a late rally finished by Daniel De La Rosa to take a 2-0 lead in the match.
Lawrence Tech responded in the third set with its best stretch of the day. The Blue Devils edged Lourdes 26-24, avoiding a sweep when Gustavo Machado recorded the final kill of the set. That extended the match and reflected the pressure Lawrence Tech maintained at the net, where it totaled 56 assists and hit .274 as a team.
Even so, Lourdes proved steadier in the closing stages. The home side hit .298, recorded eight service aces and finished with nine total team blocks, compared with five for Lawrence Tech. The Blue Devils battled into another close finish in the fourth, but Badarne’s final kill ended the comeback attempt and sent Lawrence Tech out of Sylvania with a hard-fought four-set loss.
