Men’s Volleyball Crowned League Champ With 3-0 Win Over Spalding

LOUISVILLE, KY – Wittenberg Men's Volleyball claimed a share of the Midwest Collegiate Volleyball League (MCVL) title and secured home court advantage in the upcoming MCVL Tournament by defeating Spalding, 3-0, on the road Saturday afternoon, April 4, at Columbia Gym.

With the victory, the Tigers, now 19-5 overall and 8-1 in the conference, finish the season on a nine-match winning streak that puts them atop the MCVL with Trine, one win ahead of third-place Calvin, and two clear of Baldwin-Wallace. Wittenberg earned the top seed in the MCVL Tournament and home court advantage by virtue of a win against the Thunder earlier in the season. This will be Wittenberg's fourth MCVL Tournament appearance. The Tigers were last crowned as regular season league champions in 2023 and 2024.

The tournament will take place on April 10-11 at Pam Evans Smith Arena, part of the Health, Wellness & Athletics Complex. Semifinal matches will take place on Friday, April 10, with Calvin taking on Trine at 4 p.m., followed by Baldwin-Wallace against Wittenberg at 7 p.m. The winners of both matches will then advance to the championship match, which will take place on Saturday, April 11, at 3 p.m. Stay tuned for ticket information. 

Twice down by three points early in set one, the Tigers battled back and tied things at 10-all, then never looked back. After eight ties in set two, Witt took the 19-18 lead and outscored the Golden Eagles 6-2 for the win. The Tigers jumped ahead 5-1 in the third set and never looked back, winning in scores of 25-19, 25-20, and 25-16 for the big win.

With the loss, Spalding finishes its inaugural season at 8-11 overall and 2-7 in the conference.

Reese Monnin (Xenia, OH / Carroll) had an incredible game, leading the team in kills with 11 on 12 total attacks for a .917 hitting percentage and 14.5 points. He also led the team in blocks with four. Eli Halverson (Hamilton, OH / Badin) and Harrison Mitchell (Dublin, OH / Scioto) added eight kills each. Halverson also anchored the defense, picking up a team-high nine digs. Wittenberg outhit Spalding, .438 to .129.

Patterson Reed (Louisville, KY / St. Xavier) led the team in service aces with two and Carson Hill (Liberty Township, OH / Lakota East) turned in a team-high 17 assists, while Gavin Hagerty (Fishers, IN / Fishers) added 15 assists.

Team Comparison

• Wittenberg had 41 kills on 73 total attacks for a .438 hitting percentage, along with 39 assists, five service aces, 29 digs, and six blocks.
• Spalding had 29 kills on 85 total attacks for a .129 hitting percentage, along with 24 assists, seven service aces, 19 digs, and four blocks.

Written by: Cindy Holbrook