DES MOINES, Iowa - With a berth to the semifinals on the line, the sixth-ranked Vanguard University Men's Volleyball team (12-3) faced off against third-ranked Campbellsville (Ky.) University (26-5). The Lions' offense was explosive once again as they recorded 50 kills on a .287 hitting percentage, but it was their defense that carried them to a four-set victory as they out-blocked the Tigers 14.5 to five.
What Happened? Matthew Rossin and Ho Yin Leung traded kills early in the fourth set as both teams started the feeling out process in the first set. Roussin was a key element of a 4-1 run that opened things up for the Pride as he recorded three kills and a service ace forcing the Tigers to call a timeout. He would go on to record eight of his twelve kills in the first set en route to a 25-19 victory for the Lions.
Set two featured ten ties as Campbellsville (Ky.) held the Lions to their lowest hitting percentage of the match. Tied up at 12, the Pride went on a 4-2 run to give themselves a slight cushion for the stretch run. Out of a VU timeout, Kyle Anema (JR/La Mirada, CA) found the hardwood on three consecutive attacks, and a block by Filippo Meoni and Valesis Vaisuai (FR/Hayward, CA) would give the Lions a commanding two-set lead.
Tied at four early in the second set, the Tigers went on a 5-1 run to force a timeout by the Lions. Out of the timeout, Vanguard was able to pull back within one, but that would trigger another 5-2 run by CU to keep the Pride at an arms distance. Campbellsville (Ky.) would earn a 25-21 victory in the third set as they rode their best hitting percentage of the match (.414) to cut their deficit back down to one set.
The Lions came out of the break fired up as Filippo Meoni (FR/Macerata, Italy) keyed a 7-1 run by the Lions with two service aces. Three attacking errors buried the Tigers in an even bigger hole as Anema and Meoni continued to fire the ball into the ground on the opposing side to rack up the kills for the Blue and Gold. The Lions' largest lead was 15 in the final set as they punched their ticket to the semifinals in upset fashion.
Why It's Important? The Tigers had been ranked in the top-five of the NAIA poll for the entire season, moving as high as two and falling as low as four, and the Lions outplayed their predator counterpart in nearly every facet of the game. Among the tournament field, the Lions have allowed the second-fewest points allowed.
Top Performers: Kyle Anema continued to blaze through opposing defenses in the tournament thus far as he recorded 21 kills and only three errors for a .383 hitting percentage to go with four blocks and ten digs. Cody Watts (SO/Clovis, CA) was equally as impressive at the net as he recorded six blocks and seven kills with no errors. Bryce Thompson (JR/Los Alamitos, CA) dished out 48 assists on the day and Matthew Roussin (JR/Anaheim Hills, CA) recorded 12 kills to round things out for the Blue and Gold.
What They Said: "This was an all-around great win for us, Campbellsville came out hot but we stayed steady through it all," said Bryce Thompson. "Now, our sole focus is on semis and we're beyond excited to play."
What's Next: On Thursday, April 23rd the Lions will take on second-seeded Benedictine - Mesa (Ariz.) at 2:00 p.m. PST.
#ClawsUp
