Aurora, Ill. – Dominican University Men's Volleyball turns their attention to top seeded and No 11. Aurora on Thursday for a NACC Semifinal showdown.

Series History vs. Aurora:
Dominican and Aurora first played on 2/28/2018 in River Forest, Ill. (W, 3-0) 
All-Time Record / Streak: 10-3 / Dominican L1
Last Meeting (2/27/2025): Dominican 1, Aurora 3 (16-25, 24-26, 25-18, 17-25).
DU is 4-1 all-time at Aurora, with their only defeat coming on 2/23/2019 (2-3).
 
DU in Review:
-The Stars finished the 2025 regular season with a 13-10 record went 9-3 in conference.
-Dominican began the 2025 season with three matches in Santa Cruz, California, as part of the Slug Fest Tournament
-The Slug Fest Tournament marked the first time the Stars have traveled to the state of California since 2019, where they would drop a pair of matches to the University of California, Merced, and the University of California, Santa Cruz. 
 -The 2025 season marks the 2nd season with Head Coach Doug Burchett at the helm. The Stars finished the 2024 season with a record of 19-8 and were 11-1 in conference.  
 -DU headed into the 2025 season looking to defend its 2024 NACC Regular Season and Tournament titles.
 
Last Time Out:
-The Stars handled business at home in the NACC Quarterfinal, taking down fifth-seed Marian in four sets (25-23, 25-15, 21-25, 25-18).
-Senior Casey Goss notched a team-high 13 kills on .292 hitting along with 3 aces and 3 blocks.
-Junior Michael Greco was a force at the net, collecting 8 kills on .899 hitting alongside 6 blocks.
-Sophomore Ty Geschke had a well-rounded effort Tuesday, posing 8 kills on .316 hitting on top of 2 aces, 3 blocks, and a team-high 10 digs.
 
Star Gazing:
-Sophomore Ty Geschke has led the attack for DU this season, averaging 3.56 kills per set on .284 hitting, and has started in 18 of Dominican's 24 matches.
 -Senior Tanner Dahman averages 2.25 kills per set and is second on the team with 169 total kills. Dahman also leads the Stars in aces with 28 on the campaign.
 -Sophomore Grant Henderson has commanded the Star's defense with 126 total digs, leading the team in that category.
-Senior Owen Morrow has dished 566 assists, averaging 8.45 per set.
 -Junior Michael Greco leads DU at the net, totaling 42.0 blocks.

NACC Conference Tournament Standings:
-The Stars have clinched a berth in the NACC tournament for the 7^th consecutive season (No NACC Tournament in 2020 due to COVID-19).
-DU enters the tournament as the No. 4 seed. This marks the first time in program history the Stars have been at this seed line in the NACC Tournament.


Senior Sendoff:
     -On Saturday, April 5th, 8 Dominican seniors were recognized for their passion and dedication to the Men's Volleyball program over their storied careers.
     -The class of 2025 has been a part of 2 NACC Regular Season Championship teams (2022 & 2024), 2 NACC Tournament Championship teams (2022 & 2024), a NCAA DIII Tournament Sweet Sixteen appearance (2024), and a NCAA DIII Tournament Elite Eight appearance (2022).
     -Senior Ryan Barnett (St. Louis Park, MN / St. Louis Park) has appeared in 68 matches and 218 total sets at DU. Barnett had 13 aces during the 2024 campaign and has appeared in 15 matches this season.
     - Senior Owen Morrow (Frankfort, IL / Lincoln-Way East) has appeared in 69 matches and 245 sets while at Dominican. Morrow has accumulated 2,222 assists over the past 4 seasons, along with 87.0 total blocks and 418 digs. Morrow had a career night against Aurora on 2/29/2024, totaling 58 assists in the five-set victory.
     -Senior Nathaniel Cossyleon (Woodridge, IL / Downers Grove South) has appeared in 29 matches and 71 sets as a Star. Cossyleon has a career total of 86 kills, 83 of which have come during the 2025 season. Cossyleon was responsible for an 18-kill match in a sweep over Benedictine on 3/15/2025.
     - Senior Aaron Marrs (Woodridge, IL / Downers Grove South) has 72 match appearances and 241 sets played at DU. Marrs has amassed 457 kills, 35 aces, 296 digs, and 63.0 total blocks over the past 4 seasons. Marrs had a career-best 24 kills against Cal Lutheran on 1/27/2024.
     -Senior Tanner Dahman (Gilbert, AZ / Basha) has appeared in 60 matches and 188 sets for Dominican. Dahman has accumulated 369 kills, 67 aces, 227 digs, and 56.0 total blocks during his collegiate career. Dahman had a career-high 6 aces against Concordia Chicago on 4/3/2024.
     - Senior Jason Kougan (Frankfort, IL / Lincoln-Way East) has appeared in 59 matches and 196 sets as a Star. Kougan has a career total of 203 kills, 39 aces, 120 digs, and 156.0 blocks in his time at DU. Kougan had a career-best 10 total blocks against Concordia Chicago on 4/03/2024.
     -Senior Kade Van Assen (Tinley Park, IL / Brother Rice) has 31 match appearances and 57 sets played for Dominican. Van Assen has 7.0 total blocks through his career, including a career-high night of 3 assists and 2 total blocks against Rockford on 3/08/2025.
     - Senior Casey Goss (Frankfort, IL / Lincoln-Way East) has appeared in 47 matches and 170 sets over the past four seasons at DU. Goss has amassed 551 kills, 73 aces, 294 digs, and 85.0 total blocks over his illustrious career. Goss was responsible for multiple 23-kill performances during the 2024 season, a year in which he received NACC Player of the Year, AVCA Honorable Mention All-American, AVCA All-West Regional Team, and NACC First Team All-Conference.

Familiar Faces:
     -Dominican has five of their top six kill leaders returning from the 2024 season, with Senior Casey Goss leading the way with 349 total kills, equaling 3.60 kills per set.
     -Goss was awarded NACC Player of the Year honors in 2024 and was also an AVCA Honorable Mention All-American, AVCA All-West Regional Team, and NACC First Team All-Conference recipient. Goss led the Stars in kills, aces, digs, and sets played while being 3rd in total blocks.
     -Junior Michael Greco and Senior Jason Kougan resume their roles as the Stars' pair at Middle Blocker. Greco paced Dominican in 2024 with 85 blocks, followed by Kougan's 83.
     - Senior Owen Morrow returns as DU's setter. Morrow was able to tally 918 assists in the 2024 campaign and started in all of Dominican's 27 matches.
 
Scouting Report:
-Aurora is 24-4 on the season, finished 11-1 in the NACC, and is currently ranked No. 11 nationally in this week's AVCA Division III MVB poll.
-The Spartans are amid a five-match winning streak, including a sweep over eight-seed IIT in the NACC Quarterfinal on Tuesday.
-AU hits at a .264 clip, averaging 12.6 kills per set, 11.5 assists per set, and 11.3 digs per set.