Men’s Volleyball Advances to MCVL Finals With 3-0 Sweep of Baldwin Wallace

SPRINGFIELD, OH. – Wittenberg Men's Volleyball says not this year Baldwin Wallace, as the team made all the right moves in the semifinals of the Midwest Collegiate Volleyball (MCVL) Tournament to capture a 3-0 victory over the Yellow Jackets on Friday, April 10, at Pam Evans Smith Arena, part of the Health, Wellness & Athletics Complex and advance to the finals.

Seeking a little revenge after losing to Baldwin Wallace in the semifinals of the MCVL Tournament two of the last three years, Wittenberg came out strong in the rematch with a balanced offensive attack across the net, coupled with key defensive plays and blocks to knock the Yellow Jackets out this year in scores of 25-21, 25-21, and 25-15. 

"If we can play loose, we can play really, really well, and I continue to remind them to just do your job, not do too much or take over the match just as one person," said Jamie Peterson, head coach of men's volleyball. "I think we did a good job of staying balanced across the net, and that's something that's hard to defend. I thought we did a great job of staying loose and they were very confident in their decision-making.

"The biggest thing that stuck out to me was our efficiency staying consistent, along with our lack of attacking errors – we just took care of the ball really well," Peterson added. "We didn't let them out of tough situations, which made our guys more confident to swing aggressively."

Riding a 10-match win streak, the Tigers, the No. 1 seed in the tournament, will take on No. 3 Calvin at 3 p.m. on Saturday, April 11, in the finals at Pam Evans Smith Arena. Calvin defeated Trine, the No. 2 seed, in the other semifinal match, 3-0, to advance. Wittenberg is now 20-5 on the season, while Calvin is 21-4.

In set one against Baldwin Wallace, Wittenberg jumped out to a 7-3 lead and stayed a few points ahead most of the way through. But the Tigers let Baldwin Wallace get back into it and tie things at 19-all before claiming the win. There were seven ties in the second set, and after a 10-10 tie, Witt went on an 11-7 run to take a 21-17 lead and never looked back. Wittenberg then led from start to finish in set three.

Spreading out the offense, Wittenberg had five kills or more from five different players with Harrison Mitchell (Dublin, OH / Scioto) leading the way with eight kills, Michael Yurk (Indianapolis, IN / Bishop Chatard) tallied seven, Reese Monnin (Xenia, OH / Carroll) and Patterson Reed (Louisville, KY / St. Xavier) each had six, and Eli Halverson (Hamilton, OH / Badin) added five. Halverson led the team in digs with nine, while Gavin Hagerty (Fishers, IN / Fishers) picked up seven and led the team in assists with 17. Reed led the team in blocks with five, while Halverson added four.

The Tigers earned home-court advantage in the tournament after capturing a share of the MCVL regular season title by finishing 19-5 overall and 8-1 in the conference. It is the Tigers' third title in the last four years after sharing the 2023 crown with both Baldwin Wallace and Mount Union and claiming the 2024 championship with an unblemished 9-0 record. The Tigers, who qualified for the MCVL Tournament for a fourth consecutive season, are hosting the MCVL Tournament for the second time.

Team Comparison

• Wittenberg had 35 kills on 87 total attacks for a .276 hitting percentage, along with 31 assists, three service aces, 43 digs, and 16 blocks.
• Baldwin Wallace had 32 kills on 107 total attacks for a .056 hitting percentage, along with 30 assists, five service aces, 38 digs, and seven blocks. The Yellow Jackets finish the season at 18-11. 

Written by: Cindy Holbrook