Upset of Fifth-Ranked Southern Virginia Highlights Pair of Wins For Tigers

SPRINGFIELD, OH – Hosting some strong competition in the Springfield Men's Volleyball Showcase, Wittenberg took down two teams on day one. After picking up a straightforward 3-0 win over Bridgewater College (Virginia), the Tigers pulled off a tremendous upset with a 3-2 win over No. 5-ranked Southern Virginia at Pam Evans Smith Arena, part of the Health, Wellness & Athletics Complex, on Friday, Feb. 6.

Putting a chink in the Knights' armor, Wittenberg took Southern Virginia to five sets before tallying an exciting 3-2 victory by set scores of 25-20, 25-17, 23-25, 19-25, and 15-13.

The Tigers dominated the first two sets, hitting .625 in game two. The next three sets were back-and-forth with eight and 14 ties, respectively. The two teams then matched each other point by point in set five, with 10 total ties, and each team only enjoying a two-point lead once in the race to 15.

Witt setter Carson Hill (Liberty Township, OH / Lakota East) had three big digs down the stretch that gave Witt the slight edge before the final set ended on a service error by the Knights to give the Tigers the set point and the match win. 

Eli Halverson (Hamilton, OH / Badin) was a force in this one with a team-high 17 kills on 38 total attacks for a .316 hitting percentage. He also registered a team-high 10 digs and two solo blocks for 20 points in the upset victory. Michael Yurk  (Indianapolis, IN / Bishop Chatard) and Zach Newton (Morgantown, IN / Franklin Community) added 14 kills each. With the win, Wittenberg is 2-6 against Southern Virginia in the overall series between the two teams.

In game one against Bridgewater, the Tigers launched a potent offensive attack behind Yurk, posting a 3-0 win in scores of 25-16, 25-14, and 25-20. Yurk not only led the team in kills with nine, but he landed four service aces, tallying all of them in a 12-point surge, taking the serve with a 9-5 edge that turned into a 20-5 lead. In this first meeting between the two teams, Wittenberg outhit the Eagles, .359 to .013. 

With the two victories on the day, the Tigers push their season record to 7-2 overall. Southern Virginia falls to 8-1 on the season while Bridgewater drops to 2-7 with more matches to play in the five-team Showcase that includes host Wittenberg, Bridgewater, Illinois Tech, No. 13-ranked Loras, and the No. 5-ranked Southern Virginia.

Team Leaders vs. Bridgewater

• Michael Yurk  (Indianapolis, IN / Bishop Chatard) led the team in kills with 9. He also had 13 points and four service aces.
• Reese Monnin (Xenia, OH / Carroll) added 8 kills on 11 total attacks for an incredible .727 hitting percentage. Eli Halverson (Hamilton, OH / Badin) tallied 7 kills on 11 total attacks for a .545 hitting percentage.
• Noah Vencill (Kingsville, OH / Edgewood) and Yurk led the team in digs with seven each.
• Gavin Hagerty (Fishers, IN / Fishers) and Carson Hill (Liberty Township, OH / Lakota East) picked up 18 assists each in the match.

Team Comparison vs. Bridgewater

• Wittenberg had 45 kills on 92 total attacks for a .359 hitting percentage, along with 40 assists, five service aces, 43 digs, and 2.0 total blocks.
• Bridgewater had 15 kills on 78 total attacks for a .013 hitting percentage, along with 13 assists, six service aces, 33 digs, and 2.0 total blocks.

Team Leaders vs. Southern Virginia

• Eli Halverson (Hamilton, OH / Badin) led the team in kills with 17. Yurk and Newton each added 14 kills. Yurk had 15.5 points, while Newton had 15.
• Gavin Hagerty (Fishers, IN / Fishers) led the team in assists with 24, while Carson Hill (Liberty Township, OH / Lakota East) picked up 19 in the big win.
• Halverson led the team in digs with 10, Hagerty and Jake Downs (Cincinnati, OH / Milford) each added eight, and Hill had seven.
• Reese Monnin (Xenia, OH / Carroll) led the team in service aces with two.

Team Comparison vs. Southern Virginia

• Wittenberg finished with 49 kills on 123 total attacks for a .228 hitting percentage. The Tigers also had 47 assists, six service aces, 44 digs, and six blocks.
• Southern Virginia landed 50 kills on 133 total attacks for a .173 hitting percentage. The Knights also had 45 assists, seven service aces, 18 digs, and eleven blocks.

Up Next

The Springfield Men's Volleyball Showcase continues Saturday with Wittenberg taking on Loras at 1 p.m. in the 1929 Gymnasium and Illinois Tech at 6 p.m. in the Pam Evans Smith Arena. There will be matches in both gyms beginning at 11 a.m. 

Written by: Cindy Holbrook