In the first round of the NCAA Division III Men's Volleyball Tournament, the Southern Virginia University Men's Volleyball team (18-3) battled with perennial powerhouse Springfield College (23-5) in a heavyweight bout for a spot in the quarterfinals.
The opening point was set up by a perfect dig by Justin Madsen, allowing Tyler Sheaffer to pick out McKay Walker for the opening kill. The Pride came back with a quick bump-set-spike of their own to get both teams on the board. After two quick points, including a Jeremy Brown kill, gave Southern Virginia a two-point lead, Springfield Head Coach Charlie Sullivan called the game's first timeout with a score of 11-7. A second timeout was called after just three more points from Southern Virginia, including two consecutive service aces from Brown. Following the second timeout, the Knights tallied two more points before a service error ended the 7-0 run.
After splitting the next 14 points, a Chris Rouleau attacking error saw Southern Virginia reach set point. On its second attempt to secure the game, Kristo Bianchin sent the ball into the ground with a powerful swing to go up 1-0 after winning set one, 25-15. The kill was the sophomore's second in the opening stanza, while fellow middle, McKay Walker, also impressed, tying Springfield's three-time American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-American and reigning AVCA Player of the Year, Jarrett Anderson, for the most kills in the set with four.
Set number two started with the Knights rattling off three straight points after a service error gave the Pride the set's first tally. After the Pride tied the game at six, the Knights went on another quick 3-0 run to take control of the set. Following another Walker kill, the Pride took another early timeout with the scoreboard reading 12-8. Out of the break, Christian Sheaffer registered two quick kills, demanding coach Sullivan's second and final timeout. Following the second timeout, the Knights added another tally off an attacking error by Anderson to conclude a 5-0 run.
Springfield cut the deficit to two, 18-16 after an ace by Dylan Mulvaney saw the team take eight of the next 11 points. After splitting the next four, the advantage was trimmed to one after a setting error by Tyler Sheaffer. The teams would again halve the next four marks, but Bianchin would add a kill and a block assist with Christian Sheaffer to reach set point. On the second opportunity to close out the set, Kyler Evans smashed the ball into the floor to go up 2-0 after winning 25-22.
After gaining some momentum towards the end of the second set, the Pride came out firing on all cylinders to start the third. However, The Knight's middles continued to shine, with Bianchin and Walker combining for four of the team's first five kills until Christian Sheaffer scored 8-6 in favor of the Pride with his first kill of the set. After halving the next ten tallies, Springfield's 3-0 run propelled them to a five-point advantage. They would reach their largest lead—six points—after a Bianchin error made the score 22-16. Six of the last eight points came off service errors, with Springfield winning 25-19.
With a set under their belts, the Pride continued their excellent play into the fourth set, jumping out to a 7-3 lead to force Knight Head Coach Tom Peterson to call his first timeout of the contest. The Knights earned the first point after the break, but the Pride grabbed three straight to increase the advantage to six after an Anderson kill.
Southern Virginia bounced back with two straight points from Bianchin, one on a kill and the other on a solo block, to cut the deficit to four. Springfield, however, notched four of the next five tallies to reach its largest lead of the contest—seven. Southern Virginia would follow the run up with four of the next five points to cut the lead to four, 16-12.
After falling six points behind, the Knights went on a 3-0 run, building some momentum and forcing a Pride timeout with a score of 22-19. Following the short recess, the Pride reached set point after two quick tallies. The Knights would register two straight points before Anderson pushed the match into a deciding fifth set.
Southern Virginia recorded the first point after another Walker kill. Springfield would get on the board on the back of Anderson, who would then add a service ace to go up 2-1. After splitting points, Christian Sheaffer would throw the ball off the block and out to square the set at three points apiece.
Following a powerful kill by Chris Rouleau, the Pride would notch their second service ace of the set to go up two. The Knights would then add a powerful swing of their own, this time at the hands of Bianchin, to cut into the lead. Then, a solo block by Evans tied the set at five before an attacking error gave the Knights the advantage on the scoreboard.
The battle continued over the next few points, with the teams trading blows and points. After the Pride reached eight, the teams switched sides, with the Knights down one. Then, back-to-back service aces gifted Springfield a two-point advantage, but Evans would tally a kill for Southern Virginia on the next point, making the score 9-8. After another Pride service ace—its fifth of the set—pushed the lead to three, 11-8, Peterson was forced to call a timeout. The Knights would tie the game after three straight points and back-to-back attacking errors by Anderson following the break, necessitating a timeout by coach Sullivan.
Brown's third service ace of the match couldn't have come at a more opportune time, giving Southern Virginia a 13-12 advantage and forcing the final Springfield timeout. Out of the break, a serve into the net squared the contest at 13. The teams split the next four points, with neither able to gain any advantage in the fight. A Christian Sheaffer kill, his twenty-third of the match again gave the Knights the lead, and following a great serve, the Pride's Noah Weislo sent the ball long, concluding the extended set, 17-15.
Tyler Sheaffer, who tallied a career-high 53 assists, said after the match: "I am able to dish out different sets to different people because of our excellent serve-receive. Like our other five-set matches, I rely heavily on Christian towards the end of games. I got to the 53 assists because I trust my teammates to put the ball away."
"The middles were incredible tonight," exclaimed Christian Sheaffer, who tied for the most kills in the match with 23. "Many of my kills came from the back row because our middles were pulling their blockers, and I practically had an open net. They were amazing, and I'm very proud of them and the team as a whole."
Bianchin and Walker combined for 23 total kills, with nine and 14, respectively—both season highs. Evans also had one of his best performances of the year, registering nine kills while hitting .500.
"Momentum in volleyball is unbelievable," Coach Peterson declared. "Kudos to Springfield for fighting back after being down two sets to none, and then to our guys for not giving up at the end. I'm extremely proud of how we fought through adversity to beat a very good team."
Southern Virginia will await the winner of the second match of the evening at Kenyon Hall between the hosts, and No. 1 ranked Vassar and Baruch in tomorrow's quarterfinal matchup that is set for 6 p.m.
STORY COURTESY OF SOUTHERN VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS