Lancaster, PA - After nearly a full week off from competition, the Southern Virginia University men's volleyball team didn't miss a beat, defeating two opponents during a tri-match on Saturday. The Knights overwhelmed Eastern University in their first matchup before taking down the hosts, Lancaster Bible, in three sets for the second time this season.
Game One
Not far from home, Christian Sheaffer looked comfortable in the early going against Eastern by tallying Southern Virginia's first four kills of the match. He also recorded a solo block to help the team jump out to a 5-1 lead. Jayton Hall helped the Knights blow the set open with a couple of kills during a run of six unanswered points. They claimed the first set, 25-10, and looked in complete control.
The second set quickly became a block party for Sheaffer and company. He combined for three blocks with Curtis Stone and Jason Wang to provide another early lead. Jeremy Brown was also given a lot of looks and added a couple of aces in the process to extend the Knights lead to as much as 12 points. Eastern fought back admirably during a stretch of six straight points, but Isaac Carillo shattered any hopes of a comeback with a service ace to close out the set.
In the third set, the Knights faced the first deficit of the afternoon at 4-2, but Christian Sheaffer single handedly put the team back on top for good by remarkably claiming the next seven points. He recorded four service aces and three kills to open up a five point lead which was enough to bring the Knights to the finish line in a sweep. Gehrig Tolman and Maxym Sutton split time as the setter and Jason Wang played a part in three blocks to help the defense.
Game Two
In a rematch of their meeting in early February, Lancaster Bible became the next team looking to foil an undefeated season for the Knights so far. Southern Virginia shortened their bench in what became one of the more competitive matchups for them this season. Still, a quick start propelled them into the lead, one that was too big for the Chargers to overcome. Jeremy Brown converted on three attacks towards the end of the first set to lift the team to a 1-0 set lead.
The second set followed suit, with Southern Virginia clinging to the lead after jumping out to an early 6-2 advantage. Justin Madsen played well defensively and once again showed why he's one of the best liberos in the country. His 11 digs marks the second he's finished in double figures this season. Along with their play at the net, Madsen once again leads one of the best defensive teams in the country.
After taking the second set to put the Chargers on the brink of defeat, the Knights were sure to take care of business in the third. Despite trailing 8-5 at one point, a series of kills from Christian Sheaffer and Jeremy Brown gave them back the lead. Several attacking errors also contributed to the downfall of the Chargers who suffered their second defeat at the hands of Southern Virginia this season.
Sheaffer and Brown each recorded double figures in kills, while Gehrig Tolman finished with 35 assists. Still with a spotless record of 15-0, league play begins to ramp up for the Knights this week. On Wednesday, March 5th, they'll host Marymount, typically one of the more competitive teams in the country, at 6:00 PM in Knight Arena. For the most up-to-date information and details on the team, visit knightathletics.com and follow @knightmvolleyball on Instagram.
