The Benedictine Mesa men's volleyball fell to OUAZ in straight sets, 25–17, 25–18, 26–24, in the
semifinals of the GSAC Conference Tournament.
Set One
Benedictine Mesa faced early pressure in the opening set as OUAZ used aggressive serving to gain separation. The Redhawks steadied themselves behind the attacking of
Ethan Russell and
Ryder Kelley, while
Chase Jensen delivered a service ace to help slow the momentum.
Despite solid offensive stretches from
Travis Kelly,
Kelley, and
Joseph Washington, OUAZ closed the set on a late run to take the opener, 25–17.
Set Two
The Redhawks responded with renewed energy in the second set, trading points early and showing improved balance across the lineup.
Washington,
Kelly, and
Maurice O'Brien each contributed kills as Benedictine Mesa stayed within reach.
OUAZ began to pull away midway through the frame, capitalizing on serve-receive pressure and a strong block. Benedictine Mesa continued to battle through extended rallies, highlighted by Russell's consistency on the right side, but OUAZ secured the set, 25–18.
Set Three
The Redhawks delivered their strongest performance of the match in the third set. Benedictine Mesa jumped out to an early lead behind Russell's aggressive attacking and timely finishes from
Jensen and
Washington.
Trailing late, the Redhawks mounted a determined comeback, tying the set at 20–20 after a series of defensive stops and transition points that forced an OUAZ timeout. Benedictine Mesa continued to fight point-for-point down the stretch, pushing the set into extra points.
OUAZ ultimately edged the Redhawks in the closing moments, taking the final set 26–24 to advance to the conference championship match.
