WILBERFORCE, Ohio — D'Youville (0-5, 0-0 NEC) fell to Central State (OH) (2-6, 0-0 SIAC) in a five-set match, 22-25, 20-25, 29-27, 25-20, 12-15, on Friday at Beacom/Lewis Gym. 

D'Youville's offense was highlighted by a .301 hitting percentage, while their opponents secured the win with a decisive fifth set, hitting .529.

D'Youville began the set with a back-and-forth exchange, highlighted by Luk Markwardt's (Luebeck, Germany / Leibniz Gymnasium Bad Schwartau) early kill, assisted by Andrew Haber (Whitby, Ontario / Brooklin), leveling the score at 1-1. The team maintained a slim lead through strategic plays, including a service ace by Haber, pushing the score to 10-7. Despite Ty Parker (Syracuse, N.Y. / Jamesville-Dewitt) and Ethan Robinson (Scarborough, Ontario / Neil mcNeil) contributing key kills, D'Youville couldn't sustain momentum as Central State capitalized on a series of errors. The Marauders rallied from behind, ultimately overtaking Saints to win the first set 25-22.

D'Youville started the second set with a steady exchange of points, but a significant momentum swing occurred as Ethan Robinson and Skyler Tutor (St. Cloud, FL / St. Cloud) delivered crucial kills. D'Youville managed to tie the score at several points, with Robinson capitalizing on assists from Haber. Despite these efforts, the host team gained a lead late in the set, capitalized on by a series of Saints errors and strong offensive plays from the home team. The set concluded with D'Youville trailing 25-20, as Central State secured the final point with a kill from Toulmin Williams IV.

D'Youville clinched a tightly contested third set against the Marauders with a 29-27 victory. The visiting team showcased resilience late in the set, with Robinson contributing crucial kills, including the final point that sealed the win. Parker's service ace and Deeraj Varma's (Gaithersburg, Md. / Quince Orchard) impactful performance also aided in D'Youville's comeback, overcoming multiple lead changes and errors. The game concluded with this decisive set, ending with a final score of Saints 29, Central State 27.

D'Youville capitalized on a series of errors by Central State in the fourth set to secure a decisive victory. A critical moment came when Robinson recorded a kill to give D'Youville a 5-4 lead, following an attack error by the Marauders. D'Youville maintained their momentum with strong performances from Parker and Dempsey Ptaszkiewicz (Cincinnati, OH / Bishop Fenwick), each contributing key blocks and kills. Despite some service errors, D'Youville consistently regained control, ultimately closing the set with a service error by Central State that sealed the win. The game concluded with D'Youville defeating the home team 25-20, marking the end of play.

In the deciding fifth set, D'Youville started strong with Ptaszkiewicz securing an early point with a kill from Peyton Planz (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Shaler Area), setting the tone at 1-0. Despite several service errors that kept the game tightly contested, D'Youville maintained momentum with key kills from Samuel Pizarro-Amaya Seattle, Wash. / Shoreline) and Robinson, keeping the score level at critical points. Varma added back-to-back kills, briefly giving D'Youville a two-point advantage at 9-7.

However, Central State managed to regain control with a series of kills, leveling the score at 12-12. D'Youville's efforts to reclaim the lead fell short as the Marauders capitalized on a late service ace and an attack error by Robinson. The set concluded with Central State emerging victorious at 15-12, sealing the match with a final score of 3-2 in sets.

Robinson led with 17 kills and contributed significantly with four total blocks, finishing with 19.5 points. Planz provided a perfect performance with five kills on five attempts and added 25 assists to his stat line. Parker recorded 10 kills and a team-high three total blocks, accumulating 13 points in the process. Ptaszkiewicz was a defensive force with four solo blocks and three assisted blocks, totaling seven blocks overall, while adding six kills.

Looking ahead, D'Youville will face Thomas More University on Saturday, Feb. 7 at noon. The match will take place in Crestview Hills, Kentucky.