Benedictine Mesa battled through an intense four-set match, outlasting Aquinas with resilience, late-set composure, and strong contributions from both starters and bench players. After dropping a tightly contested opening set, the Redhawks surged back to take the next three, securing the match victory.

SET 1 – Aquinas 26, Benedictine 24
The opening frame was a back-and-forth slugfest, with neither team able to create much separation. Matthew Wagner and Travis Kelly provided early offense for Benedictine, while John Jakaitis steadied the floor with multiple assists and a key service ace that tied the set 10–10.

Aquinas responded behind the attacking combo of Jayden Sturdevant, Brock Hoffman, and Garrett Anderson, capitalizing on several Benedictine errors to edge ahead.
Trailing 23–24, Benedictine fought off one set point with a Wagner kill, but a service error on the next play handed Aquinas the 26–24 win.

SET 2 – Benedictine 26, Aquinas 24
Benedictine flipped the script to start the second, jumping out to a 3–0 lead behind aggressive blocking from Travis Kelly and Chase Jensen. Sturdevant again sparked Aquinas offensively, keeping the Saints within striking distance.

The middle of the set featured standout swings from Ryder Kelley, Raphael Mkpegue, and Matthew Wagner, helping Benedictine build a 17–14 lead. Aquinas responded with a late push, capitalizing on a run created by blocking pressure and several Redhawk miscues.

Knotted at 23–23, Benedictine delivered in the clutch—Blake Ross fired a service ace to bring up set point, and Wagner finished the job with a kill off a John Jakaitis assist. The Redhawks evened the match 26–24.

SET 3 – Benedictine 25, Aquinas 23
Set three was another momentum swing, with Aquinas starting strong under the direction of setter Ryden Luedtke and attacker Sturdevant. Benedictine settled in behind Chase Jensen, whose kills helped stabilize the offense.

A mid-set blocking explosion from Travis Kelly, Chase Jensen, and later subs Jayden Minarcik and Ethan Russel pushed Benedictine ahead. The Redhawks overturned a 12–13 deficit with a 6–1 surge, fueled by solid defensive reads and transition scoring.

Aquinas threatened late, pulling within 23–24, but Ethan Russel sealed the set with a kill, giving Benedictine a 2–1 match lead.

SET 4 – Benedictine 25, Aquinas 16
The Redhawks saved their sharpest volleyball for the final frame. After Aquinas took the first point, Benedictine unleashed a dominant 7–1 run powered by Blake Ross's serving, blocking from Mkpegue and Ryder Kelley, and a string of well-placed kills.

Carson Lee entered and immediately made an impact, delivering an ace and multiple kills to extend the lead to 10–4. Benedictine continued to overwhelm Aquinas with clean attacking and suffocating net defense.

Despite Aquinas pushing back behind Sturdevant and Staats, Benedictine maintained full control. At 24–16, the match ended fittingly on a Redhawk block—Travis Kelly and Ethan Russel sealing the point and the win.

Key Players:

• Chase Jensen: 11 kills, 7 digs, 4 blocks
• Travis Kelley: 10 kills, 8 blocks
• Blake Ross: 13 digs, 6 assists, 1 ace

Looking Ahead: The Redhawks are back on the court on Saturday, January 24^th as they take on Indiana Tech in Grand Rapids, MI.