Posted: Feb 06, 2021
BEREA, Ohio - Baldwin Wallace University men's volleyball made history on Saturday, winning their first two matches in program history against Olivet (Mich.) College. The Yellow Jackets earned a 3-0 (25-10, 25-15, 25-18) victory in the opener and won a thrilling 3-2 (24-26, 25-18, 25-13, 20-25, 15-12) decision in the finale.
Freshman Nick Irelan (Powell/Olentangy Liberty) turned in a dazzling performance, tallying 27 kills, 17 of which came in the finale. After no double-doubles in the opening match, three players tallied a double-double in the second, including Irelan, freshman Michael Beard (Hilliard/Darby) who recorded 16 kills and 10 assists and freshman Brandon Long (Hinckley/Metea Valley [Ill.]) who notched his team-leading second of the year with a 45 assist, 10 dig day.
Right out of the gate, the Yellow Jackets were motivated to secure a victory. Delivering their most emphatic set win of the young season, BW took the first 25-10. Riding a .400 hitting percentage as a team, the Yellow Jackets forced the Comets into nine errors and started the day off with a bang.
After a 5-0 run to start the second set, the Yellow Jackets met some resistance as the two sides traded points for much of the remainder of the set. However, four straight points sparked by two service aces for Irelan, put to rest any hope of a second set comeback and gave the Jackets a 25-15 victory.
After not leading at any time during the first two sets, Olivet opened up a 5-3 lead in the third. However, the Yellow Jackets answered with a 6-1 run of their own and kept the Comets at a distance, allowing them no closer than one point. Sophomore Brandon Yu (Wadsworth/Highland) helped seal the first win in program history by notching a service ace late in the set to take it 25-18.
The second match of the day proved to be a back and forth battle from the start. Olivet was determined from the get-go, owning two separate three point advantages. However, the Yellow Jackets responded to build a 17-14 lead with help from a strong kill by freshman Chris Moehl (Oceanside, Calif./El Camino). Despite that push, the Comets delivered a robust comeback and took the first set 26-24.
The Yellow Jackets put their foot on the gas in the second and third sets, turning an 0-1 deficit into a 2-1 lead. After allowing the Comets an attacking percentage of .235 in the first, they clamped down on defense as the Comets could not crack .050. Irelan and Beard continued to lead the offense and give the Yellow Jackets a chance to clinch as they entered the fourth set.
After the Comets eked out a fourth set win, the two teams played their first five set match of the season. Olivet had the early edge, taking an 8-4 lead in the first-to-fifteen final set. A big kill by Long helped generate momentum for the Yellow Jackets who ended the match on a 9-2 run, with a kill by Aaric Gossett (Lewis Center/Olentangy) sealing the thrilling conclusion.
The Yellow Jackets will return to action on Saturday, February 13 with a doubleheader against Wittenberg University. The Jackets will get started at 1:00 p.m. and play the finale at 3:30 p.m.
