(CRESTVIEW HILLS, Ky.) – The Thomas More University men's volleyball team earned their second straight sweep Friday night in their home opener at the Connor Convocation Center against the Kentucky State University Throrobreds. The final scores were 25-13, 25-19, 25-20.
- The Saints ran out to a 20-7 lead in the first set, grabbing an impressive four aces to this point. They ran away with the set one win, 25-13 and went up 1-0 in the match.
- They hit an even .500 in the first set as both Ben Albers (Delhi, Ohio/Elder) and Will Strasser (Cleves, Ohio/Taylor) had a pair of kills to lead Thomas More.
- Thomas More earned a 15-9 lead in the second set, and looked to run away with it again.
- However, Kentucky State hung tough and used a 7-4 run to get to within three at 19-16 and give themselves a chance.
- An Albers kill and two Thorobred errors halted their momentum and eventually gave the Saints the 2-0 match lead.
- Kentucky State and Thomas More traded points throughout the early part of the final set.
- However, with the score at 9-9, the Saints looked like they put the match away with an 8-3 run that put them up 17-12. Albers, Will Busken (Cincinnati, Ohio/Elder), and Dominic Rossi (Pittsburgh, Pa./Shaler) all had kills during this rally.
- But an 8-3 run for the Thorobreds tied the match at 20-20 and set up for an exciting finish.
- The Saints rolled past Kentucky State over the final five points though, using two Busken kills and three Thorobred errors to end the match on a 5-0 run.
- Thomas More hit a season-best .338 in the match.
- Busken and Albers both had a team-high seven kills.
- The trio of Conner Young (Cincinnati, Ohio/Princeton), Eli Chambers (Eagle Rock, Calif./Eagle Rock/Santa Monica College), and Landon Tackett (Pickerington, Ohio/Pickerington Central) had 13, nine, and eight assists, respectively.
- Jonathan Litzler (Edgewood, Ky./St. Henry) led the team with eight digs.
- Both Jacob Wehrman (Milford, Ohio/Milford) and Caleb Lipscomb (Cincinnati, Ohio/Walnut Hills/St. Francis Brooklyn College) had three solo blocks a piece, while the Saints had 10 solo blocks as a team.
After two matches in two days, Thomas More will get a few days off before being back on the floor against the Central State University Marauders on Tuesday night at 7:00 p.m. inside the Connor Convocation Center.
