Lakeland College

Muskies fall in quarterfinals

Athletics - posted on 4/7/2012

The Lakeland College men's volleyball team saw its season come to an end on Saturday, falling in the quarterfinals of the bronze division.

The Muskies left it all on the court, but just couldn't find a rhythm, going 1-1 on the day.

Lakeland opened the single-elimination bronze division with a 2-1 (25-12, 20-25, 17-15) victory over the University of Minnesota. Sophomore Brett Kaczmarek (Kenosha, Wis.) continued his stellar tournament play, leading the team with 11 kills and adding eight digs. Senior Dan Sheets-Poling (Plainfield, Wis.) finished with seven kills, while freshman Dayton Erickson (Trevor, Wis.) totaled 28 assists and eight digs.

In the quarterfinals, the Muskies fell to Sacramento State, 2-0 (21-25, 19-25). In their final match, Sheet-Poling tallied six kills, while fellow senior Andy Cheever (Greenfield, Wis.) finished with six digs.

"This loss was a tough one," said Lakeland head coach Joe Julkowski. "The guys put their best effort into every point. We weren't in rhythm all tournament so it was hard to just switch that on. Emotions were high knowing it could be the last match and the last few points showed what volleyball really means to these guys. It's their lives and the main reason they came to Lakeland."

The Muskies finish the season 22-24 overall and will use their experience this season to grow and return the program to national prominence.

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