The Benedictine Mesa Men's Volleyball Team secured a commanding victory over Westcliff in three sets on Sunday afternoon, with final scores of 25-20, 25-23, and 25-19.
Set 1: The Redhawks came out strong, capitalizing on early Westcliff errors to establish a dominant lead. A service error by Rodolfo Biegelmeyer handed Benedictine the opening point, and decisive kills from Landon Fuller and Trevor Weinert, expertly set up by John Jakaitis, extended the advantage. Benedictine surged ahead 8-3 as Westcliff struggled to find their rhythm.
Despite efforts from Tom Dempsey and Connor McCann, Westcliff couldn't break through Benedictine's solid defensive front, led by Ben Turcinec and Josh Beymer. A brief Westcliff rally, highlighted by a service ace from Pawel Tuz, closed the gap to 10-14. However, Benedictine quickly reasserted control with strong plays from Dapre Rogers and disciplined blocking by Weinert and Fuller. A late push from Westcliff wasn't enough, as Weinert sealed the set with a final kill for a 25-20 win.
Set 2: The second set began as a tightly contested battle, with both teams exchanging points early. Dapre Rogers and Tom Dempsey delivered powerful kills, and a service ace from Fuller leveled the score at 5-5. Benedictine then pulled away, fueled by kills from Turcinec and Rogers, along with a well-placed ace from Weinert. Westcliff's unforced errors allowed the Redhawks to build a 9-6 lead.
Westcliff attempted a comeback, but Benedictine's well-coordinated offense and disciplined defense, especially through blocks by Turcinec and Weinert, kept them in control. With Jakaitis orchestrating the attack and Rogers and Fuller executing efficiently, Benedictine maintained their momentum to take the set and solidify their command over the match.
Set 3: Westcliff took an early lead in the third set following an attack error by Rogers and a kill from McCann, making it 2-1. Benedictine quickly responded with a Rogers kill and a block from Jakaitis and Weinert, leveling the score at 4-4. The teams traded points until a kill from Turcinec briefly put Benedictine ahead 8-7.
Westcliff regained a 9-11 lead after errors by Rogers and Beymer, but the Redhawks answered with a service ace from Turcinec and a Rogers kill, prompting a Westcliff timeout as Benedictine led 14-12. Strong blocking from Weinert and Fuller helped extend the lead to 18-15. Despite a late push from Westcliff, Benedictine remained composed, stretching their lead to 22-16 with a Fuller kill and a service ace. A final kill from Turcinec put Benedictine at match point, and a Westcliff service error sealed the 25-19 victory.
Key Players: Landon Fuller: 11 kills, 2 aces, 4 blocks, 3 digs Trevor Weinert: 6 kills, 7 blocks, 1 ace, 2 digs, .500 hitting percentage Ben Turcinec: 5 kills, 1 ace, 5 blocks, 9 digs
Looking Ahead: The Redhawks return to action on Thursday, February 13th, as they take on Judson University on the road.
