Buckeye Reporter

The Baldwin Wallace University men's volleyball team faced Mount St. Joseph University for a Midwest Collegiate Volleyball League matchup in the Ursprung Gymnasium inside of the Lou Higgins Center. The Yellow Jackets defeated the Lions in straight sets by final set scores of 25-15, 25-18, and 25-21.

BW (19-6, 2-0 MCVL) was led by junior All-MCVL outside hitter Michael Beard (Hilliard/Darby) as he posted a match-high 16 kills and hit .441 on the day. Beard also notched a double-double adding a team-high 12 digs. Junior setter Brandon Long (Hinckley/Metea Valley, Ill.) dished out 33 assists and finished with five digs. Junior right side hitter Nick Mazzone (Springboro/Bishop Fenwick) posted 12 kills while freshman libero Aiden Kim (Bothell, Wash./North Creek) notched 11 digs. 

Mount St. Joseph (8-8, 1-2 MCVL) was led by sophomore middle hitter Ryan Bollhauer as he totaled a team-high 10 kills and hit .444. Junior libero Logan Essen notched a match-high 14 digs and added two aces. 

1st Set

• BW got out to a 11-6 lead to force an MSJ timeout
• The Yellow Jackets extended the lead to 17-8, causing the Lions to take their second timeout of the game
• BW went on to win set one, 25-15, as the Lions tallied 10 first set hitting errors 

2nd Set 

• An ace and a kill by Beard put BW up 11-8 to force an MSJ timeout
• A solo block by Long put BW up 16-12
• Despite MSJ closing the gap, back-to-back kills by Mazzone on the right pin put BW up 23-17
• A service ace by Mazzone closed set two, 25-18
• BW hit .552 as a team, notching 17 kills, in set two to its opponent's .182 average

3rd Set 

• Two kills in the middle by the freshman Colby Whiteside (Powell/Olentangy Liberty) and freshman Josh Steinitz (Towson, Md./Friends School of Baltimore) duo put BW up 17-13, forcing an MSJ timeout
• Despite MSJ bringing the game within three points late in the set, a kill by Beard and a kill by Mazzone put BW up 23-18
• The Yellow Jackets went on to win the game (25-21) and the match (3-0)

BW returns to the court on Saturday, March 18 as the team takes on the Wittenberg University Tigers in an MCVL contest. First serve is set for 1:00 p.m. in the Ursprung Gymnasium inside of the Lou Higgins Center.

Original source can be found here