[Men's Volleyball] Men's Volleyball Faces Tough Competition in Gray Wolf Invitational

SYLVANIA, OHIO – The St. Andrews men's volleyball team traveled to Ohio to compete in the Gray Wolf Invitational hosted at Lourdes University for four matches over the weekend. The Knights went 1-3 on the weekend, facing tough competition from Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, and Iowa.

SAU 3 Robert Morris (Ill.) 0

St. Andrews began their Gray Wolf Invitational play with a 3-set sweep over the Colonials on Friday afternoon. The Knights recorded over double the kills that Robert Morris did in the first set, collecting 14 compared to the Colonials 6.

In the second and third sets, St. Andrews recorded 16 kills in each while recording just 4 errors. The second set was the closest the Colonials would come to the Knights, coming within two points with a score of 26-24.

The Knights dominated the third set, outscoring the Eagles 25-16. St. Andrews posted their best hitting of the match with a .522 hitting percentage, drilling 16 kills with just 4 errors.

Jacob DeSouza was unstoppable for the Knights, recording a .571 hitting percentage on 18 kills and limiting his errors to just 2.

Dakota Hotaling and Nate Blackwell each picked up a solo block in the match over the Eagles.

LU 3 SAU 0

Lourdes University stretched their win streak to 5 matches as they swept the Knights in three sets (25-12, 15-13, 25-21). St. Andrews struggled against the Gray Wolves, recording just 23 kills in the match and posting a .022 hitting percentage.

Leading the Knights in kills was Jacob DeSouza with 9, while Edgar Huerta and Nate Blackwell each recorded 5.

Braden Rubiano collected the only solo block of the match for the Knights, while also assisting in 2 blocks.

 SHU 3 SAU 1

Siena Heights topped the Knights in four sets (20-25, 25-21, 21-25, 20-25) in their first match on Saturday afternoon. The Saints forced 11 errors on SAU's offense in the first set as the Knights broke even with their hitting percentage by tacking on 11 kills.

St. Andrews bounced back in set 2, recording 14 kills with just 4 errors to take the set with a score of 25-21 to tie the match, 1-1.

The Knights struggled in the final two sets, falling to the Saints in 4.

Jacob DeSouza led the Knights with 16 kills while Edgar Huerta recorded 15. Nate Blackwell hit well for SAU, collecting 11 kills with just 5 errors. Dakota Hotaling pocketed 43 assists and led the team with 13 digs.

St. Ambrose 3  SAU 2

The Knights fell in their final match of the Gray Wolf Invitational on Saturday evening in five sets (22-25, 25-18, 17-25, 25-23, 9-15).

St. Andrews played their best set in set 2, posting a .423 hitting percentage on 15 kills, while holding SAU to just 7.

Senior Jacob DeSouza recorded the most kills for the Knights with 20, hitting for .297 on the match.

Edgar Huerta also posted double digits in the kill column with 16 and led in digs with 10.

Leading the Knights in assists was Dakota Hotaling with 42, while Alex Colon-Morales tallied 6.

Up Next

The Knights will next hit the court on March 5th as they travel to Webber International for a conference match with a 7 pm start time.

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.