LEBANON, Tenn. – Cumberland’s Arthur Amorim collected eight kills and Mason Chambers added seven in a four-set loss to Lawrence Tech and Amorim recorded six more kills in a defeat against No. 8 Aquinas College in men’s volleyball action Saturday in Elgin, Ill.
Joshua Eckert posted a service ace and a kill and Phoenix committed four errors for a 9-3 Lawrence Tech lead early in the first set, this despite a block by Amorim and Stephan Davis and two kills from Christian Lester. Angel Acevedo Reyes and Lester tallied a block and Lester recorded another kill, cutting the deficit to 10-6.
Two consecutive kills from Chambers and one by Jordan Pierce made it 12-10 Blue Devils and Amorim posted one kill and Davis had two to keep Cumberland close, 18-14. Two kills from Pierce and one by Lester pulled CU within 22-18, but Joseph Balanda and Lawerence Patton finished off the set for LTU, 25-17.
The Phoenix took an early advantage in the second set thanks to a kill by Acevedo Reyes and a service ace from Lester, but the Blue Devils responded with kills by Javier Contreras, Gospel Sua and Eckert. Three straight errors from Cumberland were part of a 6-0 Tech run for a 10-5 LTU edge.
Kills by Davis and Lester helped end the spurt, but Balanda and Eckert posted a block and Balanda and Contreras added kills for a 17-8 Tech lead. Amorim collected three kills and Chambers added one late in the set, but Eckert and Balanda got the final two spikes for a 25-14 set win.
The third set was much tighter from the start, with kills by Amorim and Acevedo Reyes along with a block from Chambers and Brian Hogg giving Cumberland an 8-6 advantage. Chambers and Davis added kills for the Phoenix.
Acevedo Reyes and Davis kept Cumberland in front with spikes (19-15) and Tyler Sturzoiu and Davis extended the lead to 22-16 with kills. The Blue Devils got as close as three, but Chambers collected one kill and Amorim got the final two in a 25-22 CU set victory.
Acevedo Reyes registered a kill and two service aces to begin the fourth set, but kills by Lawrence Patton and Contreras along with an ace from Stefan Sretenovic put Tech ahead, 6-4. Sturzoiu’s kill evened the set at seven and spikes from Hogg, Acevedo Reyes and Chambers made it 11-10 LTU.
The Blue Devils got blocks from Eckert and Balanda and then Patton and Balanda for a 15-14 edge, but Hogg and Amorim collected kills for a 20-18 Tech edge. Patton and Sua posted spikes and Calvin Oooms recorded a kill and then a service ace to end the match, 25-21.
Joshua Boothroyd posted three kills and Daniel Littleton added one for a 5-2 lead early in the first set for Aquinas. Chambers and Davis registered a block and Chambers netted a kill for CU before Amorim’s spike pulled the Phoenix within 6-5.
Robert Valerio and Daniel De La Rosa along with Littleton collected kills for the Saints, extending the advantage to 12-8 before a Chambers kill for Cumberland. Littleton and De La Rosa tallied spikes and Josh Evers had a service ace for a 17-10 Aquinas advantage.
Jonah Weisler, Jacob Grygo and Evers posted consecutive kills, but the Phoenix answered with spikes from Avecedo Reyes and Hogg. Boothroyd added the final kill in a 25-15 set.
Chambers tallied a kill and Amorim netted a pair to even the second set at five, but the Saints scored eight of the next 10 points behind kills from Littleton, Weisler and Boothroyd along with a block by Weisler and Valerio.
Acevedo Reyes ended the spurt with a kill but Boothroyd had two more spikes and De La Rosa and Matthew Glass picked up a block for a 19-10 Aquinas lead. Pierce registered a pair of kills and Davis and Chambers added one apiece late in the set, but Glass countered with two kills and Valerio and De La Rosa netted one each in a 25-16 set victory.
Tarrick Lindner and Will Duellman gave the Saints a 6-2 lead in the final set despite kills from Acavedo Reyes and Sturzoiu for Cumberland. Pierce picked up a pair of kills and Chambers recorded a service ace, getting CU within 10-8.
Littleton kept Aquinas in front with two kills and a solo block, but Davis and Pierce netted spikes for the Phoenix and Hogg collected a service ace, making it 18-15.
Boothroyd and Valerio registered kills and then combined for a block, but Amorim kept Cumberland in the set with a pair of kills before a service error by CU ended the match.
Cumberland plays St. Andrews University this Friday and Life University on Saturday in Marietta, Ga., in Mid-South Conference action.
