BEREA, Ohio – The Baldwin Wallace University men's volleyball team hosted Olivet (Mich.) College for the Midwest Collegiate Volleyball League opener in Ursprung Gymnasium inside the Lou Higgins Center. The Yellow Jackets claimed the victory over the Comets in straight sets by scores of 25-16, 25-17, and 26-24.
BW (6-7, 1-0 MCVL) was led by sophomore All-MCVL outside hitter Michael Beard (Hilliard/Darby) as he posted 12 kills, hitting .579, and added six digs and two service aces. Sophomore outside hitter Nick Irelan (Powell/Olentangy Liberty) tallied nine kills and hit .538 while adding five digs and two service aces. Sophomore setter Brandon Long (Hinckley/Metea Valley, Ill.) dished out 37 assists and earned five total blocks.
OC (4-9, 0-2 MCVL) was led by freshman outside hitter Kai Hartman as he totaled eight kills and five digs.
Set 1
- With the score tied 12-12, BW went on a 5-0 run to force an Olivet timeout.
- BW went on a 13-4 scoring run to close game one, earning the win by a 25-16 score.
- The Yellow Jackets tallied 14 kills on just one error, hitting .619 as a team.
Set 2
- The Yellow Jackets pulled out to a big 6-1 lead and then to a 10-6 advantage to force Olivet to take their first timeout.
- The Comets responded with a 7-6 run, closing the gap to just three points.
- A 6-1 run from BW in response earned the Yellow Jackets a big 22-14 advantage.
- BW claimed the second set by a 25-17 score after a huge kill by Irelan that sent the ball into the stands on the dig attempt.
Set 3
- Olivet grabbed the early 9-5 advantage after a few BW errors.
- The Yellow Jackets battled back to tie the game at 15-15.
- An ace by sophomore middle hitter Don Travis (Reynoldsburg) put BW up three (21-18).
- A big kill by freshman outside hitter Thomas Zagrobelny (East Aurora, N.Y.) gave BW the late 22-21 lead, but Olivet immediately responded to tie it back up.
- The teams traded service errors to keep the score tied at 24 all.
- A kill by Beard and an error by the Comets closed the set and match.
Freshman right side hitter Michael Devlin (Zelienople, Pa./Seneca Valley) also finished with seven kills with just one error (hitting .429) and had a team high nine digs. Zagrobelny totaled eight kills in the match.
BW returns to the hardwood tomorrow, February 20 as the team remains at home, hosting the Adrian (Mich.) College Bulldogs in another MCVL matchup. First serve is set for 1:00 p.m.
