The Benedictine Mesa Men's Volleyball Team delivered a dominant performance on Saturday morning, defeating Olivet Nazarene in straight sets with scores of 26-24, 25-16, and 25-19.
Set 1:
Benedictine battled through a tightly contested first set to secure a 26-24 victory. The Redhawks took an early 1-0 lead following an attack error by Olivet's Brody McAfee, but the Tigers quickly responded with a kill to even the score. The set remained close, with both teams exchanging points in a back-and-forth battle. Dapre Rogers and John Jakaitis led the charge for Benedictine, with Jakaitis tallying multiple kills and a service ace to establish a 6-3 advantage.
Olivet Nazarene remained competitive, capitalizing on service errors and strong blocking to keep the score within reach. Midway through the set, Benedictine's offense, powered by Rogers and Trevor Weinert, regained momentum, but Olivet continued to push back with key kills from McAfee and Jackson Harvey. With the score at 24-23, Rogers delivered a pivotal kill to put Benedictine at set point. After Olivet forced a tie at 24-24, a service error and a decisive block from Ben Turcinec and Weinert secured the set for the Redhawks, 26-24.
Set 2:
Benedictine took full control in the second set, cruising to a 25-16 win behind a well-balanced attack. Landon Fuller led the offense with multiple kills, assisted by Jakaitis, while Weinert and Rogers added key points. The set began evenly, but Benedictine pulled ahead after building a 5-3 lead. Strong blocking from Josh Beymer and consistent offensive execution forced an early timeout from Olivet at 8-4.
The Redhawks continued to dominate, with Fuller and Weinert extending the lead to 10-4. Despite efforts from Olivet's McAfee and Kahaku Marquez, Benedictine remained in control with efficient play and steady execution. Service errors from Olivet proved costly, and a strong finish by Fuller sealed the set at 25-16.
Set 3:
Benedictine closed out the match with a commanding 25-19 third-set victory. Olivet started strong, taking an early lead with a block by Cade Ooms and a kill from McAfee. However, Benedictine capitalized on service errors to stay within striking distance. Weinert stepped up with a service ace and a kill, propelling the Redhawks to an 8-6 lead and forcing Olivet to call a timeout.
Following the break, Benedictine extended its advantage to 10-6, taking advantage of Olivet's attack errors. The Tigers responded with kills from Marquez and Ooms to keep the score close at 11-9. Rogers and Fuller delivered key plays down the stretch, and despite a late push from Olivet that narrowed the score to 18-17, Benedictine's offensive firepower proved too much. Kills from Beymer, Rogers, and Weinert sealed the set at 25-19, securing the sweep for the Redhawks.
Key Players:
Looking Ahead:
The Redhawks return to action on Tuesday, March 4th, as they take on Morningside University at home.
