Box Score DUE WEST, S.C. – Following their five set victory on Wednesday, the King University men's volleyball team returned to Conference Carolinas play on Thursday night when they faced preseason favorite Erskine College. Just as they did a day earlier, the Tornado came back to force a fifth a decisive fifth set, but unlike Wednesday, King couldn't complete the comeback, falling to the Flying Fleet 3-2.
The Tornado grabbed the lead in the first set behind a Nick Serowski kill, but Erskine (13-3, 9-1 CC) came back and grabbed a 7-5 lead following a 3-0 run. The Flying Fleet later used a 6-1 run to take a 19-11 lead en route to the 25-15 first set victory.
King (8-7, 6-3 CC) responded by taking an early 5-2 lead following a Matthew Lychock service ace. The Flying Fleet came back and got within one numerous times, but King had an answer every time to extend the lead. Holding a 17-16 lead, Eddie Moushikhian sparked a 6-0 run with a kill, and Nick Drooker followed with an ace. Moushikhian then ended the 25-21 set win for King with another kill.
In the third set, King opened up an 8-5 lead, but the Flying Fleet scored five of the next seven points to even the set at 10-10. Erskine then went on a 5-1 run to gain a 15-11 advantage and didn't look back, taking the set 25-16.
The Tornado had answer again in the fourth set as they rolled off four straight points to take a 6-1 lead. The Flying Fleet came back to get within 12-11, but Moushikhian started a 3-0 run with another kill, forcing an Erskine timeout. However, out of the timeout, Erskine score five straight points to take a 19-17 lead and force a Tornado timeout. The Tornado answered however as Drooker ignited the King offense with a kill. Moushikhian followed with a kill before the Tornado added two more points to take a 21-19 lead. The teams then traded points as King ultimately took the set to force fifth and final set.
The decisive set was as tight as the entire match was as the teams traded points in the early going. With King trailing 5-3, Adrian Besson and Serowski registered consecutive kills to even the set. The Tornado trailed by two again at 11-9 before Besson and Moushikhian teamed up for back-to-back kills, forcing an Erskine timeout. However, the Flying Fleet scored three straight points to take a 14-11, but Moushikhian kept the match going with a kill. Nevertheless, Erskine scored the final point to take the set 15-13 and the match 3-2.
Moushikhian led King with 19 kills and seven digs, and Serowski followed with nine kills and eight digs. Drooker added 35 assists to go along with eight digs while Chandler Wellmann accounted for eight digs.
For Erskine, Roberto Perez accounted for 31 kills and Mike Michelau added 25 to lead the Flying Fleet.
King will be in action again on Saturday when they travel to take on Marymount University at 10:00 a.m. The Tornado then face Bluefield College at 12:00 p.m. in Arlington, Va.
