LEXINGTON, Va. - The Southern Virginia University men's volleyball team began its CVC title defense on a positive note, defeating fifth seed Kean in four sets to secure a spot in the 2026 championship game.

After jumping out to a six point lead late in the first set, Kean rallied to tie the score at 23. However, a kill from Jason Wang followed by a block from Gehrig Tolman and Nathan Mitchell gave the Knights an all-important 1-0 advantage.

The attacking prowess of David Ward, Brady Dastrup, and Tommy Forese took over in the second, as the trio eventually combined for 32 kills in the game.

After the Knights claimed the second frame and put Kean in a 2-0 hole, the Cougars fought back to force a fourth set after a 25-20 decision in the third.

Dastrup made sure things ended after that. The sophomore from Colorado recorded two kills and two blocks during a 7-0 Southern Virginia run to blow the set open.

The Knights were able to maintain a sizable lead the rest of the way. Ultimately, Tolman used a sneaky kill to clinch the victory, punching Southern Virginia's ticket to the conference final for a third consecutive season.  

Looking Ahead

The Knights will face Juniata tomorrow, the second seed in the CVC and No. 2 team in Division lll. The championship is slated for 3:00 PM on Saturday, April 11th in Lexington. The Knights are seeking their fifth ever CVC championship.

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