NORTH ANDOVER, MA- The Merrimack men's volleyball team lost to the Sacred Heart Pioneers at Hammel Court on the evening of March 21st despite a great effort.
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Rapid Recap
Score: Merrimack 1, Sacred Heart 3
Records: Merrimack 10-6, Sacred Heart 5-11
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How it Happened
The Warriors would find themselves down early at the beginning of the first set. They would battle back though, as Isaiah Vogel, Ephraim Abhulime, and Logan Whitaker teamed up for a block in front of the net. An emphatic spike from Ephraim Abhulime energized the Warriors and contributed to their comeback attempt. The freshman would then get a service ace not too long after that. Kai Vogel also scored points throughout the set with kills of his own. The Warriors tied the set at 19 late in the frame as Isaiah Vogel heated up and got a service ace and a kill. This streak would force the Pioneers to call a timeout. The Warriors picked up where they left off, diving all over the floor and ultimately getting the emphatic tally. Kai Vogel and Ephraim Abhulime teamed up for a big block to give the Warriors the lead for the time being. Reece Lindstrom then contributed another clutch block to further the Warrior's pursuit. Nick Tidik followed that by redirecting a ball over the net for point 23. Logan Whitaker kept the Warrior's efforts alive with a kill, sending the frame into extra points. Despite a great product from Merrimack, the Pioneers would get the two points necessary to win and claim set 1 by a score of 26-24.
The Warriors started the second set down by a few points again. However, that didn't phase the blue and gold as Logan Whitaker had two massive spikes for the first two Merrimack points. The Warriors found themselves even with the Pioneers in the middle of the set. Isaiah Vogel had a clutch point in the frame, giving the Warriors the lead. The blue and gold went on an unstoppable run with Nick Tidik, Kai Vogel, Ephraim Abhulime, and Logan Whitaker all getting kills in the middle of the set. This push from the Warriors would be too much for the Pioneers, as it forced them to call another timeout. Kai Vogel heated back up late in the set, getting consecutive points for the Warriors. Nick Tidik and Isaiah Vogel got the set-winning points and gave Merrimack the victory in the frame, 25-17.
The third set started off with both teams trading points. Logan Whitaker continued his offensive pursuit by getting the Warriors on the board early in the frame. Kai Vogel got involved halfway through the set, tallying a service ace and a kill. The Pioneers found some momentum and went on a run, forcing the halfway timeout to take place. Kyle Wagner would come in and make the box score with a service ace. Ephraim Abhulime caught fire and had four big spikes in a row, leading the Warrior's offensive efforts. The Warriors would have some defensive highlights as well, with Nick Tidik, Reece Lindstrom, and Kai Vogel teaming up for a block. Another block from Nick Tidik and Logan Whitaker energized the Warriors and tied the set at 21. Logan Whitaker got hot at the end of the set, going on a points streak and helping the blue and gold go to extra points with the Big Red. Despite another great effort from the Warriors, Sacred Heart would once again get the two points necessary to win and take set 3 by a score of 26-24.
Set four saw a close back-and-forth battle between the two squads in the early goings. The Warriors would battle the best they could, but Sacred Heart found some momentum and ran with it. However, the Warriors would answer soon after. Nick Tidik would help the Warriors with a kill of his own. Logan Whitaker provided again with a kill and a shared block with Ephraim Abhulime. Isaiah Vogel heated up halfway through the frame and got a number of consecutive kills. The blue and gold took advantage of the Pioneer's mistakes, as Big Red had no answer for the low roof in Hammel. As a result, the Warriors got hot and went on to score a consecutive amount of points to be even with Sacred Heart. Isaiah Vogel was a catalyst in this pursuit, getting a clutch spike to further the Warrior's point total. His brother Kai Vogel followed soon after and got a string of kills for the Warriors. The blue and gold battled back to once again send the set to extra points. The 24th point came from a service ace from Isaiah Vogel. Nick Tidik and Kai Vogel kept the Warriors in the game with kills of their own. Despite another amazing effort from the Warriors, they dropped set 4 by a score of 30-28.
Notes and Numbers
Up Next
The Warriors are back home tomorrow, March 22nd when they welcome the Dominican University Chargers to Hammel Court at 5PM. The match will be streamed on the Merrimack Sports Network. Link to watch is on the Merrimack men's volleyball schedule. For continuing coverage, visit merrimackathletics.com . Follow the team on Instagram @merrimackmvb .
