SPRINGFIELD, Ohio - Despite major adversity, the Southern Virginia University men's volleyball team came together to produce a couple of resilient wins at the Wittenberg Showcase on Saturday.

After falling to the hosts in the tournament opener, their first loss since March of last year, the Knights swept past Illinois Tech before a come from behind victory over No. 14 Loras to close out the weekend.

Match One

Wittenberg took it to the defending champs in the opening two sets on Friday night, putting the Knights on the brink of defeat. However, a huge comeback was mounted as Southern Virginia claimed the next two sets before losing in five, nearly spoiling the upset bid.

Brady Dastrup led the attack with 14 kills while Jason Wang added three solo blocks.

Match Two

In the first match of a back-to-back set, Illinois Tech was Southern Virginia's next challenger. The outcome never seemed to be in doubt as Mark Tomlinson filled in for an injured Gehrig Tolman, dishing out 17 assists to go with 12 from Keanu Calles.

Late surges in each set helped the Knights to a sweep, putting them back in the win column after a tough start to the tournament.

Match Three

In their final match of the weekend came Southern Virginia's first matchup against a ranked opponent this season, No. 14 Loras.

Trailing two sets to one, the Knights were facing their second loss in as many days before Tommy Forese took matters into his own hands with two aces to force a deciding fifth set.

Southern Virginia then dominated the final frame, taking it 15-7 to collect a signature win despite missing a key starter in Tolman. Trajan Wadsworth put together his best performance of the year, tallying 12 kills while hitting .500. Defensively, Caleb Fisher impressed with four blocks. 

Looking Ahead

The Knights are back in action on Tuesday, February 10th at 7:00 PM against Randolph College in Buena Vista, Southern Virginia has won 23 consecutive games at home.

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