The Aurora University men's volleyball team played host for the AU Tri-Match on Friday, as the Spartans welcomed in North Park University and Nazareth College to Thornton Gymnasium. After losing their first set of the day, the #19 ranked Spartans won three-straight sets to take down North Park led by Josh McLellan who totaled 20 kills in AU's first match. Then, the Spartans coasted past the Golden Flyers of Nazareth College by another 3-1 score in the nightcap. Both wins now mark back-to-back sweeps in tri-matches for AU.


MATCH ONE SCORE: #19 Aurora University 3, North Park University 1 (25-27, 25-19, 25-19, 25-20)
MATCH TWO SCORE: #19 Aurora University 3, Nazareth College 1 (25-21, 21-25, 25-19, 25-14)
LOCATION: Thornton Gymnasium - Aurora, Illinois
RECORDS: #19 Aurora University 5-0 overall


MATCH ONE vs NORTH PARK
- AU took their largest lead of the first set at 7-3 after Josh McLellan hammered his second kill of the frame.
- The Vikings re-took their first lead of the set at 11-10 after leading the Spartans 1-0.
- Three-straight points from AU headlined by a couple of more kills from McLellan gave the Spartans 14-12 lead.
- Despite a couple of kills each from Gunner Rodarte and Sebastian Ciszewski late in the set, the Spartans would fall in the opening frame 27-25.
- AU got out to a 5-3 lead in the second set highlighted by a couple of more Rodarte kills.
- The Spartans held that lead until about halfway through the second set when the Vikings took a 13-12 lead.
- Six-straight points from AU gave them a 24-18 lead, before McLellan ended the set after slamming one home.
- This tied each side at one set win apiece.
- Nathan Kirwan gave the Spartans some more momentum in the beginning of the third set with a couple of aces, helping give AU a 6-3 set lead.
- The Spartans kept their foot on the pedal and finished off the third set with a 25-19 win.
- AU got out to yet another 6-3 lead in the fourth set with Ethan Kane totaling three kills during that span.
- The Spartans later stretched that lead to 20-14 following a Mateo Scharosch kill.
- McLellan later hammered down his 20th kill for the 25-20 set victory and 3-1 match win.
- AU held a scorching .444 hitting percentage in that final set to help them finish off the Vikings.

MATCH TWO vs NAZARETH
- AU faced a 7-3 deficit early in the first set.
- That score would later become tied at 13 after the Spartans came storming back led by three more McLellan kills.
- A kill from Ammar Brzovic gave AU their largest lead of the set, before McLellan fended the Golden Flyers with the final point of the 25-21 first set victory for the Spartans.
- AU totaled 16 kills as a team in the opening frame with a .393 hitting percentage.
- The Spartans saw themselves down 13-7 about halfway through the second set.
- Another Brzovic kill did cut it to a three point lead from Nazareth at 22-19, but AU would eventually fall in the second set by a score of 25-21.
- This tied each side at one set win apiece.
- Despite falling behind again in the third set, AU would come storming back to take a lead as high as seven late in the frame.
- AU would end up taking the third set by a score of 25-19, as five different Spartans totaled a kill in the third frame.
- After taking a 6-4 lead to open the fourth set, the Spartans rattled off four-straight points for a 10-4 advantage.
- Back-to-back kills from Ciszewski put AU on top 21-11, before Scharosch came in for the kill and match point.
- This gave the Spartans the 25-14 set win and 3-1 match victory.
- McLellan finished with another 17 kills following his 20 recorded in the first match of the day.


MATCH ONE vs NORTH PARK
Kills: Josh McLellan (20)
Assists: Logan Brouwer (39)
Blocks: Sebastian Ciszewski (8), Gunner Rodarte (6) and Josh McLellan (4)
Digs: Alex Nonhof (11), Josh McLellan and Nathan Kirwan (10)
Aces: Nathan Kirwan and Mateo Scharosch (2)

MATCH TWO vs NAZARETH
Kills: Josh McLellan (17)
Assists: Logan Brouwer (43)
Blocks: Ammar Brzovic (9) and Logan Brouwer (4)
Digs: Nathan Kirwan (9) and Alex Nonhof (7)
Aces: Ammar Brzovic, Logan Brouwer and Mateo Scharosch (2)


Next action for the Spartan men's volleyball team comes on Sunday, February 2 when they host California Lutheran University. First serve is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. in Thornton Gymnasium.