STORY COURTESY OF SOUTHERN VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

In another spring filled with postseason competition, the Southern Virginia University men's volleyball team returned to the NCAA tournament against St. Joseph's University Long Island.

Ultimately, the Knights' high-flyers proved too much for the Golden Eagles, as they cruised to an opening match victory, 3-0.

In the first set, the Knights used a 9-3 run to provide themselves a sustainable lead for the remainder of the first. Jayton Hall capped off the Knights' first set win in their tournament run with an ace, the first of four on the day for the senior.

A quick start to the second frame catapulted Southern Virginia to a sizable lead. Each service came with more heat as the Golden Eagles found serve receptions difficult to handle. Southern Virginia outside hitter Jeremy Brown was noticeable and flew through the middle on several occasions for powerful attacks.

Kristo Bianchin and Gehrig Tolman had the last say of the second, combining for a block to put St. Joseph's season on the brink. The Knights played even better in a decisive third set. Kyler Evans was on a roll, building on an extremely efficient day to finish with nine kills. Gehrig Tolman was finding his teammates at will and finished with 38 assists on the day.

Late in the third, Hall was at it again, recording two aces during a string of six services to clinch the victory. Jeremy Brown led the attack with 12 kills and Justin Madsen anchored the defense with 15 digs. 

Up Next

The Knights are off and running to the national quarterfinal to be held tomorrow, Saturday, April 19th, at 6:30 PM. They'll face the winner of the second round matchup between Messiah and Lancaster Bible.