BUENA VISTA, VA. — The Southern Virginia University men's volleyball team hosted UC Santa Cruz in Knight Arena Friday night, defeating the Banana Slugs in a five-set thriller 3-2.

Game Notes

• Nahuel Recabarren led all players with a season-high 28 kills, 17 digs, and three blocks
• McKay Walker had a solid night, recording 12 kills, two digs, and five blocks
• Kaipo Tagaloa dished out a game-high 57 assists, while Paul Candland recorded two service aces
• The Knights began the game hot, going up 12-7 midway through the first set
• Southern Virginia quickly took the 1-0 lead in the match, using a 12-3 run to take the set 25-11
• UC Santa Cruz responded confidently, taking the next two sets, jumping to the 2-1 lead in the match
• Midway through the fourth set, McKay Walker sparked a quick 3-0 run to go ahead 11-10 in the set
• At the end of the set, Christian Sheaffer set up Kaipo Tagaloa for a kill, sparking a final 5-1 run to take the fourth set 25-17, forcing the fifth and final set
• Both teams were evenly matched throughout the fifth, trading and exchanging the lead
• With the score locked in at 25, a service error from the Banana Slugs set the Knights up with match point
• Kristo Puente nailed home the final kill of the game, giving Southern Virginia the 27-25 fifth set victory and match set

The Knights take on Lancaster Bible College in Knight Arena on Saturday, April 2. Game time is scheduled for 11 am.

Follow @knightmvolleyball on Instagram for more updates and details on the team.