HARRISONBURG, Va. - A perfect record remains intact for the defending national champions. The Southern Virginia University men's volleyball team defeated three opponents at Eastern Mennonite's tournament, pushing their record to 8-0.

The Knights opened the tournament on Friday with a victory over Bethany. Jack DeGraff's nine kills and three aces led the team in points while four different players recorded at least three blocks.

Facing Stevenson in their second match of the weekend, the result was never in doubt. Southern Virginia's defense forced the Mustangs into several attacking errors, leading to their defeat in three sets. 

Brady Dastrup racked up nine kills in an efficient manner and Jason Wang took part in four blocks. It's the Knights fourth straight win over Stevenson since suffering an early season loss to them during the 2022 season.

Southern Virginia's final test of the day came from the tournament hosts, an old CVC foe, Eastern Mennonite. After cruising past them in the opening set, the Royals showed some pushback in the second, cutting the lead to just three with the Knights at set point.

However, another kill from Dastrup to clinch the set put Southern Virginia on the cusp of another perfect weekend. Ultimately, Gehrig Tolman led them to another victory with his 28 assists. Nathan Mitchell was a monster at the net, collecting two solo blocks and three blocks assists.

Looking Ahead

The competition only ramps up from here as the Knights get set to participate in another tournament this upcoming weekend in Springfield, Ohio. They'll face Wittenberg on Friday before a matchup with their first ranked opponent this season, No. 14 Loras.

For the most up-to-date information and details on the team, visit knightathletics.com and follow @knightmvolleyball on Instagram.