Men’s Volleyball Opens 2026 Season With Two Wins at Home

SPRINGFIELD, OH – Off to a good start in the 2026 season, Wittenberg Men's Volleyball collected two wins Friday night, Jan. 16, on the opening day of the annual Jim Coleman Memorial Invitational hosted by the Tigers at Pam Evans Smith Arena and the 1929 Fieldhouse, both part of the Health, Wellness & Athletics Complex.

The Tigers defeated Eastern Mennonite, 3-1, in the first match of the day and their first match of the season by set scores of 22-25, 25-11, 25-16, and 25-13. With the win, Wittenberg leads the all-time series between the two programs, 5-0. Last year, the Tigers also stumbled in the first set before capturing the 3-1 victory on Feb. 14, 2025.

In this year's match, Wittenberg used 13 players against the Royals, with three registering double digits in the kill department. The Tigers outhit Eastern Mennonite, .324 to .037.

In match two against Marian, Wittenberg dominated in the first two sets, struggled with service errors and miscommunication in set three, then regrouped in set four to finally post a win over the Sabres, 3-1. Witt won by scores of 25-17, 25-13, 21-25, and 25-14.

With the two victories, the Tigers start out the season at 2-0 while Marian drops to 0-2 after losing also to Westminster, 3-2, in a match that took place right before taking on Wittenberg. Eastern Mennonite also falls to 0-2 after losing to Thiel, 3-2, and Wittenberg.

Team Leaders vs. Eastern Mennonite

• Michael Yurk (Indianapolis, IN / Bishop Chatard) led the team in kills with 15 on 28 total attacks. He also had 17.5 points, two service aces, and eight digs.
• Zach Newton (Morgantown, IN / Franklin Community) turned in 12 kills, four digs, two blocks, and 16 points.
• Eli Halverson (Hamilton, OH / Badin) also had a good night with 10 kills, four digs, two service aces, and 12.5 points.
• Reese Monnin (Xenia, OH / Carroll) led the team in blocks with three and landed two service aces.
• Gavin Hagerty (Fishers, IN / Fishers) led the team in assists with 26 and tallied eight digs.
• Noah Vencill (Kingsville, OH / Edgewood) had a team-high 9 digs.

 Team Comparison vs. Eastern Mennonite

• Wittenberg had 51 kills on 105 attacks for a .324 hitting percentage with 45 assists, nine service aces, 52 digs, and 10 blocks.
• Eastern Mennonite had 24 kills on 109 attacks for a .037 hitting percentage with 19 assists, 25 digs, one service ace, and four blocks.

Team Leaders vs. Marian

• Halverson struck for 13 kills on 22 total attacks for a hitting percentage of .455. He also had three service aces, one block and 17 total points.
• Yurk added 13 kills on 23 total attacks for a .391 hitting percentage. He also had four service aces, a team-high six digs, two blocks, and 17 points. 
• Hagerty led the team in assists with 19; Carson Hill (Liberty Township, OH / Lakota East) added 10. 
• Monnin and Hill each had three blocks.

Team Comparison vs. Marian

• Wittenberg had 44 kills on 91 total attacks for a .363 hitting percentage, along with 39 assists, 13 service aces, 26 digs, and 12 blocks. 
• Marian had 32 kills on 87 total attacks for a .126 hitting percentage, along with 32 assists, six service aces, 25 digs, and no blocks.

Up Next

Wittenberg will continue play as host team in the Jim Coleman Memorial Invitational that includes Eastern Mennonite, Thiel, Westminster, and Marian. The Tigers will take on Thiel at 1 p.m. and Westminster at 3 p.m. on day two of the invitational on Saturday, Jan. 17, at Pam Evans Smith Arena.

 Written By: Cindy Holbrook