RIO GRANDE, Ohio – Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College punched its ticket to the River States Conference Men's Volleyball Tournament semifinals with a 3-1 victory over Rio Grande (Ohio) on Tuesday evening at Newt Oliver Arena. The Pomeroys prevailed 25-21, 14-25, 25-20, 25-18 in the quarterfinal matchup and now advance to face top-seeded Georgetown (Ky.) on Friday, April 18.

With the win, the Pomeroys improved to 25-9 overall and will face Georgetown on Friday, April 18 on the road for a shot at the RSC Championship Match. First serve is set for 5:30 pm (ET). The RSC Championship Matchwill be played Saturday, April 19 against the winner of Cumberland (Tenn.) and Campbellsville (Ky.).

The match opened with a back-and-forth battle in the first set, as both teams traded early points and momentum swings. Freshman Bentley Meyer and Yammiel Martinez set the tone for SMWC, each putting down key kills to keep the Pomeroys even with the RedStorm. A service ace by Meyer and steady setting from Michael Olak helped SMWC build a small lead midway through the set. Down the stretch, the Pomeroys capitalized on Rio Grande miscues and put up a crucial block from Joseph Szadorski and Martinez to take control. With the score tied at 21, SMWC closed the set on a 4-0 run, capped by a RedStorm attack error to seal the 25-21 win and an early 1-0 match lead.

After a sluggish second set, the Pomeroys bounced back strong in the third, showcasing their depth and defensive presence. Early offense from Meyer helped SMWC recover from a pair of service errors to build momentum. The defensive wall of Charlie Harr, Szadorski, and Christian Green was especially critical, as they combined for multiple blocks that halted Rio Grande rallies and forced a timeout with the Pomeroys holding a slim 10-9 edge.

From there, SMWC never trailed again in the set. Back-to-back attack errors from Rio opened the door, and Harr delivered a key kill followed by a stuff block with Martinez to give the Pomeroys breathing room at 19-15. Olak's leadership as setter continued to shine, feeding Martinez for a thunderous kill and then connecting with Green to cap off a 25-20 set win. The Pomeroys outhit Rio .450 to .192 in the third and rode their balanced attack into a 2-1 match advantage.

With a semifinal berth within reach, SMWC delivered a focused and composed fourth set to close out the match. Rio Grande jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead after a pair of SMWC attack errors, but the Pomeroys quickly regrouped behind a kill from Green and a service ace by Szadorski. A pivotal 4-0 run highlighted by back-to-back blocks from Yammiel Martinez and Szadorski gave the Pomeroys an 11-9 lead, forcing a RedStorm timeout.

The pressure never relented. Green added a pair of kills, Harr came through with a monster swing from the right side, and Olak tallied another ace to make it 23-16. SMWC's block continued to frustrate the Rio offense, with Meyer and Harr combining for the final denial before a Rio attack error sealed the 25-18 set and match win.

Meyer led SMWC with 9 kills, Martinez added 8 kills and 5 blocks, and Green contributed 7 kills. Szadorski filled the stat sheet with 5 blocks, 6 digs, and 2 service aces, while Olak dished out 28 assists and Trevin Matsuba tallied a match-high 11 digs.

Despite a match-high 22 kills from Rio's Daniel Bedoya, SMWC's defense clamped down late, holding the RedStorm to hitting percentages of .050 and .086 in the final two frames.