DE PERE – St. Norbert College dropped a tough 3-2 decision to Lakeland University in a Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference match at Mulva Family Fitness & Sports Center.
 
The Green Knights fell to the Muskies 25-22, 24-26, 26-20, 21-25, 15-13.
 
St. Norbert fell behind early in Set 1 by a 9-4 score before a 6-0 run put the Green Knights ahead 10-9. The set was tied 17-17 before Lakeland took the lead for good, holding off a late 23-22 score. The second set featured 13 ties and six lead changes, with Lakeland eventually taking a 20-17 lead. The Green Knights took a 21-20 edge but the Muskies rallied to set point at 24-22. St. Norbert would score the last four points of the set on a kill and block by Kaden Kornaus and two Lakeland hitting errors.
 
The Green Knights never led in Set 3, eventually closing to within 21-20 before the Muskies scored four straight points to take a 2-1 lead. Set 4 was tied 10-10 before the Green Knights went on a 6-3 run to take a 16-13 lead. The Muskies closed to within 20-19 before St. Norbert went on a 5-2 run to tie the match at 2-2.
 
St. Norbert led the decisive fifth set 6-4 before Lakeland went on a 7-2 run to take an 11-8 lead. St. Norbert battled back to tie the set at 13-13 on a Michael Whitney bock, but Lakeland would score the last two points to win the match.
 
St. Norbert hit .108 for the match, with 51 kills and 34 errors in 158 attempts. Kornaus had 11 kills, while Jacob Van Ooyen had 10 kills. Kade Nelson added nine kills and Barry Applewhite eight kills. Whitney had 45 assists.
 
Jackson Corcoran had a career-high 18 digs, while Ryan Conway added 16 digs and Kornaus 12 digs. Whitney, Kornaus and Applewhite had three blocks apiece.
 
Lakeland hit .186 for the match, with 60 kills and 29 errors in 167 attempts. Ben Busalacchi had 24 kills.