The Benedictine Mesa Men's Volleyball Team defeated Judson University in four sets on Thursday evening, with final scores of 25-14, 25-20, 23-25, and 25-23.

Set 1: Benedictine started strong, securing a dominant 25-14 victory in the first set. The Redhawks' starters—Ben Turcinec, John Jakaitis, Dapre Rogers, Josh Beymer, Trevor Weinert, and Landon Fuller—quickly established control, responding to Judson's opening point with a well-placed kill from Rogers off a Fuller assist. Beymer capitalized on an opponent's attack error, putting Benedictine ahead 2-1. Key contributions came from Fuller, who delivered multiple kills and a service ace, and Jakaitis, who set up several scoring opportunities. Weinert made an impact with a crucial block that extended Benedictine's lead to 7-3. Judson fought back with kills from Elijah Gregg and Oracio Martinez, but Benedictine's solid defense forced several attack errors. Beymer's block on Shipley sealed the 24th point, and Fuller finished the set with a kill off a Jakaitis assist, giving Benedictine a commanding 25-14 win.

Set 2: In a hard-fought second set, Benedictine emerged victorious with a score of 25-20, thanks to key performances from Landon Fuller, John Jakaitis, and Josh Beymer. The set began with Fuller delivering a kill off a set from Jakaitis, but a service error allowed Judson to tie the score early. Benedictine quickly regained control with back-to-back kills from Fuller and Dapre Rogers. Despite Judson's competitive efforts, including service aces and attack errors from Benedictine that leveled the score at 8-8, Benedictine pushed ahead with a dominant stretch. Beymer's kills and defensive blocks from Fuller and Trevor Weinert extended the lead to 18-11. Although Judson made a late push, including a service ace from Grant Shipley and kills from Elijah Gregg, Benedictine maintained composure. Jakaitis' service ace and a final block by Beymer secured the set at 25-20.

Set 3: The third set featured a tightly contested battle, with both teams trading points. Judson took an early 2-0 lead, but Benedictine responded with key kills from Dapre Rogers and Ben Turcinec to keep the score close. Despite service errors from both sides, Benedictine found momentum through Rogers, tying the game at 7-7. Judson regained the lead with key plays from Mikey Noettl and Grant Shipley, capitalizing on Benedictine's attack errors. However, Benedictine fought back, leveling the score at 15-15. The teams continued to exchange points, with Benedictine momentarily pulling ahead at 22-21 after a block error by Judson's Oracio Martinez. In the closing moments, Judson's aggressive play proved decisive, with a block from Elijah Wrobel giving Judson a 23-22 edge. After Benedictine tied it again, back-to-back kills from Noettl and Gregg sealed the set for Judson at 25-23.

Set 4: Benedictine closed out a thrilling fourth set with a 25-23 victory. The set opened with a 4-0 run for Benedictine, featuring a kill from Dapre Rogers off a Blake Ross assist, a service ace from Daniel Compton, and an attack error by Judson's Oracio Martinez. Benedictine continued to control the momentum, extending their lead to 7-1. Judson fought back, narrowing the gap to 10-8 with key plays from Noettl and Gregg. Benedictine maintained a slight edge, but the score was tied at 16-16 after another key point from Judson. As the set entered the final stretch, both teams exchanged blows. Benedictine reclaimed the lead at 19-18 after a powerful kill from Rogers, but Judson pulled ahead 21-19 following an attack error by Ben Turcinec. Landon Fuller and Josh Beymer capitalized on Judson's mistakes, pushing Benedictine to a 23-22 lead. Judson tied it at 23-23, but a costly service error by Grant Shipley handed Benedictine match point. Fuller delivered the decisive kill off a set from Turcinec, clinching the 25-23 victory and securing the match for Benedictine.
Key Players:

• Dapre Rogers: 18 kills, .455 hitting percentage, 1 ace, 2 blocks, 6 digs
• Landon Fuller: 10 kills, .529 hitting percentage, 1 ace, 2 blocks, 10 digs
• John Jakaitis: 43 assists, 1 ace, 1 block, 2 kills, 6 digs

Looking Ahead: The Redhawks are back on the court on Friday, February 14th, as they take on No. 2 Saint Xavier on the road.