Benedictine Mesa delivered competitive performances across back-to-back matches, pushing both opponents deep into sets and showcasing resilience, strong blocking, and balanced scoring.

Game vs. Indiana 
Benedictine opened strong against a powerful Indiana squad, trading early points behind kills from Ethan Russel, Travis Kelly, and Joseph Washington. Despite tying the first set multiple times, Indiana used extended scoring runs and heavy offensive pressure to pull away late.

In Sets 2 and 3, the Redhawks again kept pace early, but Indiana's serving and attacking depth proved decisive. Benedictine earned sparks from Jacob Saechao, Jayden Minarcik, and Raphael Mkpegue, yet the Hoosiers controlled key stretches to secure the sweep.

Key Players:

• Joseph Washington: 7 kills, 1 block
• Jayden Minarcik: 14 assists, 5 digs

Game vs. Cornerstone 
Against Cornerstone, the Redhawks put together their strongest and most dramatic match of the day. Benedictine won Sets 2 and 4 with timely swings from Mkpegue, Russel, Tucker Cunningham, and Washington. The Redhawks erased multiple deficits, took late-set leads, and forced a decisive fifth.

Cornerstone's serving run and early fifth-set surge created separation Benedictine couldn't quite overcome. Despite late kills from Cunningham and Mkpegue, the Redhawks fell 3–2 in a match defined by long rallies, emotional swings, and high-level play.

Key Players:

• Ethan Russel: 21 kills, 1 block
• John Jakaitis: 34 assists, 5 kills, 10 digs
• Tucker Cunningham: 7 blocks, 6 kills, 6 digs

Looking Ahead: The Redhawks are on the court again on Friday, January 30^th as they take on UC Merced for their home opener.