[Men's Volleyball] Men's Volleyball Tops Reinhardt in 5 sets, Falls to Life University

The men's volleyball team traveled to Georgia over the weekend for two Mid-South Conference matches against Life University and Reinhardt University. The Knights dropped their match on Friday against Life in three sets (25-21, 25-17, 25-17) but bounced back and topped Reinhardt in five sets (23-25,22-25,25-20,25-22,15-8) on Saturday.

Life 3 SAU 0

St. Andrews was point for point with Life University in the first set until the Running Eagles pulled away with a late set win, 25-21. Edgar Huerta had a strong first set, recording 4 kills on 7 attempts while Jacob DeSouza tallied 5 kills. Huerta also tacked on a service ace in the set.

Life University started off the 2nd set with a 4-1 lead and maintained it until the Knights tied up the set at 13-all after a Nate Blackwell kill. The Running Eagles went on a 5-point run to make the score 19-14 and controlled the remainder of the set, winning 25-17.

The Knights trailed early in the 3rd set and were unable to catch back up to the Running Eagles, falling 25-17. St. Andrews struggled in the set as they hit -.077 compared to Life's .316. Freshman Alex Arzuaga led the Knights with 2 kills and the lone SAU service ace of the set.  

Nate Blackwell hit the best for the Knights against the Running Eagles as he recorded 5 kills on 11 attempts, hitting a .364 percentage. Edgar Huerta collected 7 kills, while Jacob DeSouza hit 6.

Dakota Hotaling collected all the assists for the Knights with 21, while also recording a service ace.

SAU 3  Reinhardt  2

St. Andrews traveled to Reinhardt University on Saturday evening for another conference match, where they topped the Eagles in 5 sets. The Knights worked their way back into the match after falling in the first two sets and controlling the final three.

Reinhardt was able to secure the first two sets of the match with scores of 25-23 and 25-22 before going into the third set.

St. Andrews went on a 6-point run when the third set was tied 10-10, putting the Knights in perfect position to top the Eagles. The Knights were able to hold the strong lead over Reinhardt, taking the set 25-20.

The Knights trailed 4-2 in set 4 before tying the set at 5-5 after a RU service error. The set was point-for-point until Jacob DeSouza went on a 7-serve run that forced 3 RU attack errors, giving the Knights the 16-14 lead. St. Andrews held onto the lead and won the set 25-22.

The fifth set was dominated by St. Andrews as they got out to a strong 6-1 lead after forcing several RU errors. The Knights stretched a 7-point lead to top the Eagles in the final set of the match with a score of 15-8.

Jacob DeSouza collected the most kills for the Knights with 16, while Alex Arzuaga posted 13 kills and 5 block assists for SAU. Edgar Huerta also collected double digits in the kill column with 11.

Dakota Hotaling collected a total of 50 assists in the 5-set match while also recording 2 kills and 7 digs.

Freshman Alex Colon-Morales led St. Andrews in digs with 16 while Nate Blackwell was also strong on defense with 10 block assists. The team recorded 13 blocks in the 5-set match against the Eagles.  

Up Next

The Knights will next be in action on Friday, February 28th, as they travel to Lourdes University for a tournament hosted by the Gray Wolves.

About St. Andrews University

St. Andrews University is a branch of Webber International University located in Laurinburg, NC.   The University's mission is to offer students an array of business, liberal arts and sciences, and pre-professional programs of study that create a life transforming educational opportunity which is practical in its application, global in its scope, and multi-disciplinary in its general education core. Students will acquire depth of knowledge and expertise in their chosen field of study, balanced by breadth of knowledge across various disciplines, while pursuing a degree at associate, bachelor, or master level. Special emphasis is placed on enhancing oral and written communication, and critical thinking skills. The international quality of the student body enriches personal experience and promotes understanding of international cultures and influences. Through an atmosphere in which self-discipline, creativity and cultivation of ethical standards are enhanced, the University is dedicated to teaching its students the "how to learn, how to think, and how to apply method" to each new challenge.