QUINCY, Ill. – Roosevelt showed plenty of resolve despite a pair of three-set losses Saturday to close out the Quincy Invitational in Quincy.

The Lakers (0-5) dropped a tight back-and-forth opening set against Rockhurst in the afternoon, but couldn't manage to break through against the Hawks. In the evening, the Lakers nearly took the second set against Missouri S&T before falling to the Miners.

Rockhurst 3, Roosevelt 0

The beginning of the match could not have gone much better for Roosevelt as it took the first four points in the opening set. Neither team was able to gain much separation after that point with the lead changing hands seven times and being tied 13 times before the Hawks emerged with a 25-23 win. Andrea Di Paola had four of his team-best eight kills in the first set, hitting .800 in the period.

Mark Zmojdzin took over the offense in the second set with three kills on seven attacks, but the Lakers were consistently playing catch up in the set. Rockhurst went on its longest run of the match in the middle of the second set to turn a two-point deficit for the Lakers into a nine-point hole. The Hawks could go on to win the second set 25-18 before closing out the match with a 25-14 win in the third.

In addition to Di Paola's eight kills, Zmojdzin finished with five and Kajetan Bieniek smashed down four. Michele Bascape dished out 16 assists and Miguel Mendez Palencia led the way with seven digs while five different Lakers had at least a half of block on defense.

Missouri S&T 3, Roosevelt 0

It was a slower start for the Lakers against the Miners and Missouri S&T led the entire first set for a 25-15 win. Di Paola again had half of his kills in the opening set with five kills for Roosevelt, but the Lakers were undeterred by the slow start.

The two teams played a barnburner of a second set with the score being tied 18 times and the lead flipping on five occasions. Neither side led by more than two points the entire set and it was the Lakers who had the first chances at ending the set. Roosevelt had set points at 24-22, 24-23 and 25-24, but could not score the winning point to tie the match. Instead it was Missouri S&T claiming the set 27-25 despite four kills each from Bieniek and Zmojdzin.

Roosevelt didn't have any answers in the third set as Missouri S&T hung on for a 25-20 win to end the match. Di Paola's 10 kills led the Lakers and Bieniek finished with nine while Zmojdzin had seven. DeShawn Hoston dished out 12 of his team-best 15 assists in the second set while splitting time with Bascape, who had 11 helpers. Achille Rustghi had four blocks to tie Di Paola for the most on the team in the match.

UP NEXT: Roosevelt returns home to face an old rival on Feb. 12 when the Lakers welcome Trinity Christian to the Goodman Center for a 7 p.m. start.