After hitting just .181 while splitting the first two sets, the Dominican University men's volleyball team found their rhythm in the third set, posting a .565 hitting percentage in the third set before closing out the match while hitting at a .667 clip to overpower the Lakeland University Muskies (28-26, 17-25, 25-13, 25-13) on Friday evening at the Igini Sports Forum. 
 
"We started really slow and did not handle some of the adversity in the first set very well," commented Dan Ames following his team's 21^st win of the season.  "I was very happy with the way we were able to overcome that slow start and really played the way I hoped we would in the third and fourth set.  We were able to take care of business and I'm looking forward to getting back after it tomorrow."
 
Senior setter Alex Coyne ran the Stars' offense to a .363 hitting percentage, dishing out 49 assists.  After committing 18 errors, including eight Lakeland blocks, through the first two sets, the Stars committed just three attack errors while dominating the Muskies in the third and fourth sets.  Coyne added four kills of his own on six attempts while collecting seven digs and a pair of blocks assists in the all-around effort.
 
Lakeland appeared poised to take the first set, leading by as many as seven points, before the Stars roared back.  Dominican staved off set point when Coyne  knocked down a kill before freshman Ethan Klosak stepped back to serve three points, including a Nick Timreck kill that set up set point for Dominican, 25-24.  The sides continued to trade sideouts until Mason Solbrig knocked down a kill for Dominican before a Muskies' hitting error gave the Stars the opening set.
 
In the second set, it was Lakeland's attack that set the tone, hitting .571, knocking down 12 kills on 21 attempts while the Stars committed seven attack errors.
 
Michal Kawa carried the Stars through the third set, knocking down seven kills on nine swings while Solbrig added three kills on four attempts.  At the net, the Stars' block dominated, tallying four blocks in the frame, including two apiece for Solbrig and Coyne.
 
In the fourth set, Coyne used all of his offensive weapons with six different hitters picking up kills.  Luke Spicer was a perfect 5-for-5 in the clinching set while Klosak knocked down four kills on five swings.  Timreck, Kawa, Solbrig and Adam Eboli all collected two kills apiece in the fourth as the Stars put the match to rest.
 
Spicer led three attackers with double-digit kills for the Stars, knocking down a match-high 16 kills.  Kawa and Solbrig tallied 13 and ten kills respectively while Klosak added eight kills on 16 swings.
 
Defensively, Spicer rounded out his second double-double of the season with a team-high 13 digs while Kawa and Solbrig led the charge at the net with three total blocks apiece.
 
The Stars are now 21-2 overall and 15-1 in the Midwest Collegiate Volleyball League (MCVL) with three regular season matches remaining on the 2017 slate.  The Stars will wrap up the home portion of the schedule on Saturday with the Marian University Sabres at 2:00 p.m. before hitting the road to Wisconsin next weekend for matchups with Carthage College and MSOE, the top two teams in the Western Division of the MCVL while Dominican sits atop the Eastern Division.