SAINT MARY-OF-THE-WOODS, Ind. — Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College men's volleyball celebrated Senior Night in style Tuesday, defeating IU East in four sets (25-18, 25-19, 23-25, 25-22) at the Jeanne Knoerle Sports and Recreation Center.
With the win, SMWC improved to 26-7 overall and 8-6 in River States Conference play. IU East fell to 6-12 overall and 4-10 in league action.
The Pomeroys controlled the match early, hitting .500 in the opening set and .565 in the second to build a two-set advantage. Saint Mary-of-the-Woods totaled 54 kills on a .291 hitting percentage for the match, compared to 32 kills for IU East.
Francesco Tedeschi led the offensive attack with 14 kills, while
Tyler Duranceau added 11 kills and nine digs.
Christian Green contributed eight kills and a team-high four blocks at the net.
After IU East extended the match with a third-set win, the Pomeroys regrouped in the fourth. Despite a late push from the Red Wolves, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods closed out the match behind balanced offense and timely defense.
Setter
Ethan Ricketts orchestrated the offense with 27 assists and added 10 digs for a double-double.
Trevin Matsuba recorded a team-high 11 digs, while also contributing four assists and an ace.
At the net,
Yammiel Martinez added three blocks alongside
Lauvai Pine, helping limit IU East's offensive rhythm throughout the match.
Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College also recorded seven service aces in the victory, with
Jenu Ngialah and Duranceau leading the way with two each.
SMWC closes out the regular season this weekend with a pair of River States Conference road matches. The Pomeroys travel to face University of Rio Grande (Ohio) on Friday, April 10 at 6 p.m. before taking on Midway University (Ky.) on Saturday, April 11 at 2 p.m.
