[Men's Volleyball] Men's Volleyball collect first wins of the season at Gray Wolf Classic

January 26, 2019

Samantha Lowder, Sports Information

   

SYLVANIA, OHIO - The St. Andrews men's volleyball team traveled to Sylvania, Ohio to compete in the Gray Wolf Classic hosted by (3) Lourdes University and returned with two wins and a loss to host, Lourdes University. The Knights competed in two matches on Friday, January 25, as well as one match on Saturday, January 26th.

                                     

SAU 3 RMU 0

  

The first match of the tournament for the Knights had them facing Robert Morris College of Arlington Heights, Illinois. The Knights swept the Eagles of RMU, 3-0, after a close third set. St. Andrews dominated the first two sets each with a score of 25-19 before the Eagles tried to push the Knights into a fourth set but fell short with SAU winning 26-24.  

  

Sophomore outside hitter, Diego Hernandez (SO/San Juan, Puerto Rico) led the Knights with 9 kills and 4 service aces while junior Jacob DeSouza (JR/Quail Valley, CA) tallied 7 kills. Junior Jackson Stark (St. Louis, MO) collected a team-high of 25 assists and recording 5 kills himself.

  

SAU 0 LU 3
 

The Knights then competed against tournament host, Lourdes University, for the battle of the nationally ranked teams. St. Andrews is ranked 10th in the nation, while Lourdes holds a top-tier spot at number 3.

  

The Gray Wolves of Lourdes University were unstoppable as they hit for above 65% in all three sets while the Knights hit for less than 50% in each set. Although Lourdes took the first two sets easily, the Knights put up a fight in the third set causing the score to be tied 8 times. The Knights fell in three sets to the 3rd-ranked team in the nation with scores of (25-16,25-12,25-18).

  

St. Andrews was carried by 6'7 junior Nate Blackwell (Menifee, CA)'s 7 kills while Hernandez collected 4 kills for the Knights. Libero Carlos Rodriguez (SR/West Hazelton, PA) recorded a team-high of 5 digs for St. Andrews against the Gray Wolves.

    

SAU 3 LTU 2

 

The Knights completed their Gray Wolf Classic competition on Saturday as they competed against Lawrence Tech. The Blue Devils of Lawrence Tech forced the Knights into their first 5-set match of the 2019 season.

  

After two SAU victory sets, Lawrence Tech defeated the Knights 25-20 in the third set and 25-18 in the fourth set. The fifth and final set was very close, but the Knights clinched the 15-12 win over the Blue Devils.

 

SAU finished the match hitting overall for 60% with 53 kills and 5 service aces. Hernandez and sophomore Daryn Friedman (SO/Pembroke Pines, FL) each tallied double-digits in kills, with Hernandez collecting 17 and Friedman's 13. Setter, Jackson Stark, recorded 42 assists in the match-up against the Blue Devils.

  

With the Knights finishing play in the Gray Wolf Classic, they improve to 2-2 in their 2019 season.