GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Calvin University men's volleyball team saw its three-match winning streak to open the 2026 season come to an end with a 3-1 defeat to Concordia University Chicago (CUC) on Friday night at Van Noord Arena.
 
CUC (2-2) won the match by the scores of 26-24, 18-25, 25-22 and 25-20.
 
The first set went back and forth throughout with eight ties and five lead changes as neither team ever built a lead bigger than three points. Calvin (3-1) saved two late set points after trailing 24-22 thanks to a kill from Brady Gudauskas (Naperville, Ill./Neuqua Valley) and a Cougar attack error, but CUC answered with two straight points to win the set 26-24.
 
The Knights answered in the second set as they built an early 10-5 lead thanks to five straight points on the serve of Gabriel Laughlin (Grand Rapids, Mich./West Michigan Aviation Academy). The Cougars cut the deficit to 12-11 with a run of their own, but the Knights owned the rest of the set with the help of four kills by Daniel Rua (Medellin, Columbia/Colegio Canadiense) to even the match at 1-1.
 
The third set was another back and forth affair featuring 14 ties and six lead changes between the two teams. Calvin looked to take control of the set with a 19-16 lead and later led 22-21, but the Cougars scored the final four points of the set thanks to a pair of service aces and two blocks to win 25-22 and take a 2-1 overall lead in the match.
 
CUC took control of the fourth set early and built an 11-5 lead, but Calvin answered and pulled within one point at 17-16 following two kills from Justis Barbel (Aurora, Ill./West Aurora). That would be as close as Calvin would get the rest of the way, however, as the Cougars held off the Knights down the stretch to win the set 25-20 and win the match 3-1.
 
Calvin finished the night with a .214 attack efficiency, led by Rua with 13 kills while Gudauskas added 10 kills. CUC countered with a .193 attack efficiency and recorded 51 total kills in the match.
 
Ezekiel Jalan (Oconomowoc, Wis./Arrowhead) finished with 32 assists and five digs. Brantley Tiede (Lowell, Mich./Lowell) led the Knights with 12 digs, while Laughlin finished with eight kills and 10 digs.
 
Nick Bultje (Byron Center, Mich./Byron Center) and Rua each recorded five blocks for the Knights, who finished with 9.5 total blocks for the match.
 
COACH'S COMMENT: "Concordia was a tough foe for us tonight as their offense got into a rhythm early and it was tough to slow them down," Calvin head coach Aaron Sagraves said. "Proud of our guys for battling and giving everything they had after an emotional win last night. We need to be better on the 50/50 balls and take care of some items before heading into conference play next week."
 
NEXT UP: Calvin men's volleyball will return to action on Friday, February 6, when it hosts Adrian College in the first match of MCVL play.