The Benedictine Mesa Men's Volleyball Team dropped a hard-fought five-set match to Saint Xavier in pool play at the NAIA National Tournament. Final set scores were 22-25, 29-31, 27-25, 25-21, and 12-15.
Set 1:
The opening set was tightly contested, with both teams trading points early on. Benedictine jumped out to an 8-4 lead, capitalizing on Saint Xavier attack errors and solid defensive efforts by John Jakaitis and Jack LeDuff. However, the Cougars responded with a 6-1 run led by Caydann Cox and a kill from Oskar Krzyzak to edge ahead. Despite the Redhawks tying the set at 22-22, Saint Xavier finished strong with a kill by Vejas Cuplinskas and key Benedictine miscues to take the set, 25-22.
Set 2:
Saint Xavier carried momentum into the second set, racing out to a 6-1 lead behind strong serving from Cox and a string of kills by Cuplinskas. Benedictine answered with a six-point surge fueled by Dapre Rogers to tie it at 8-8. The set evolved into a back-and-forth battle, with standout performances from Jakaitis and Trevor Weinert. Benedictine reached set point at 29-28, but Saint Xavier held firm, scoring three consecutive points—including a kill by Cox and an attack error from Rogers—to edge out the set 31-29.
Set 3:
Benedictine opened with a kill from Fuller, but Saint Xavier responded quickly to take a 6-2 lead. A timeout helped the Redhawks regroup, and they clawed back with kills from Rogers and Weinert, tying the score at 9-9. The set remained tight throughout, with Benedictine edging ahead 24-23. After a service error tied it again, Rogers and Fuller came through with clutch plays to seal the 27-25 win and keep Benedictine alive.
Set 4:
Another intense set saw early back-and-forth play, with both sides trading errors and kills. Saint Xavier gained a 12-9 lead before Benedictine mounted a comeback. Fueled by strong serving and kills from Fuller and Rogers, the Redhawks tied it at 12-12. Late in the set, Benedictine pulled ahead 22-19, and despite a Saint Xavier push, the Redhawks closed it out 25-21 with a key kill from Weinert, forcing a decisive fifth set.
Set 5:
The final set was a pressure-filled showdown, with both teams exchanging points early. Tied at 7-7, Saint Xavier went on a crucial run with a kill by Pennala, an ace from Cox, and a Benedictine miscue to lead 10-7. The Redhawks responded with a kill from Rogers and an ace from Fuller to even it at 10-10. However, Saint Xavier capitalized on late Benedictine errors and closed the match with a kill by Drew Ehlers, winning the final set 15-12 and taking the match 3-2.
Key Performers:
Looking Ahead:
The Redhawks return to action tomorrow, Wednesday, April 30, as they face Grand View University in day two of pool play at the NAIA National Tournament.
