SAINT MARY-OF-THE-WOODS, Ind. — The Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College men's volleyball team secured a key River States Conference victory Friday afternoon, defeating Rio Grande (Ohio) in four sets, 25-19, 25-17, 21-25, 25-23, inside the Jeanne Knoerle Sports and Recreation Center.

With the win, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College improved to 23-4 overall and 5-3 in conference play, continuing its strong push through the RSC schedule.

The Pomeroys came out sharp, hitting .357 in the opening set and .450 in the second to take early control of the match. SMWC totaled 50 kills while posting an efficient .330 team hitting percentage, compared to Rio Grande's .274.

A balanced offensive attack led the way for Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College, with Bentley Meyer and Tyler Duranceau each recording 14 kills, while Christian Green added 12. Duranceau also contributed across the stat sheet with four service aces, eight digs, and three blocks.

Setter Ethan Ricketts orchestrated the offense with 42 assists while adding six digs, helping the Pomeroys maintain tempo throughout the match.

Defensively, SMWC held firm at the net with contributions from Noah Boyett, Yammiel Martinez, and Duranceau, who each tallied three blocks. Trevin Matsuba added seven digs to support the back row effort.

Rio Grande (Ohio) was led by Daniel Rivas with 16 kills, while Otavio Tonoli added 13, but the RedStorm were unable to overcome SMWC's early momentum and balanced play.

After dropping the third set, the Pomeroys responded in a tightly contested fourth, closing out the match with a 25-23 win to secure the conference victory.

Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College will return to action quickly, hosting Midway (Ky.) on Saturday, March 21 at 12:30 p.m. (ET) inside the Knoerle Center.