MVB vs UC Merced
1
UC Merced UC MERCE 10-14
3
Winner St. Thomas (FL) ST. THOM 24-1
UC Merced UC MERCE
10-14
1
Final
3
St. Thomas (FL) ST. THOM
24-1
Winner
Set Scores
Team 1 2 3 4 F
UC Merced UC MERCE 22 17 25 21 (1)
St. Thomas (FL) ST. THOM 25 25 16 25 (3)

Game Recap: Men's Volleyball | | Eli Sirota

Men's Volleyball Wins Battle Of Bobcats In NAIA National Championship Pool Play

Cedar Rapids, Iowa – Making their debut in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) National Championship on Wednesday afternoon, the fifth-seeded St. Thomas Men's Volleyball Team used a .423 hitting percentage in the opening set to quickly pull ahead in a 3-1 (25-22, 25-17, 16-25, 25-21) victory over 12th-seeded UC Merced. 

 
INSIDE THE MATCHUP: 
Final:  #5 St. Thomas 3, UC Merced 1 
Records: St. Thomas (24-1), UC Merced (10-14) 
 
HOW IT HAPPENED: 

  • Set 1 – The Bobcats scored seven of the initial 10 points of the contest and never trailed in the opening set, fending off a late comeback effort by UC Merced that got them within two at 20-18 by not allowing their opposition score consecutive points down the stretch. 

  • Set 2 – The Bobcats broke a 3-3 stalemate in the second set behind a 3-0 run, holding UC Merced without a run greater than three until a 4-0 run while facing set point made it 24-17. 

  • Set 3 – Trailing early in the third set 5-1, the Bobcats rallied to knot the score at 6-all with the two sides trading the ensuing six points before a 7-0 UC Merced run created a 16-9 score. 

  • Set 4 – Holding a slim 9-8 lead early in the fourth set, the Bobcats scored four-straight points to pull ahead 13-8 and kept the lead for the rest of the contest. 

 
NOTEWORTHY: 

  • Recently crowned American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-American First Team honoree Kaelen Ingram boasted 19 kills on a .311 clip, adding nine digs. 

  • AVCA All-American Second Team recipient Matheus Collares dished out 45 assists on top of 14 digs. 

  • AVCA All-American Second Team member Gabriel Negrao chipped in 18 kills and 14 digs 

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE: 

  • STU finished the match with 53 kills on a .254 hitting percentage versus 51 kills on a .183 clip for the opposition. 

  • St. Thomas served three aces versus one for UC Merced. 

  • The Bobcats logged four solo block and four assisted, UC Merced recorded eight solo and 10 assisted.  

  • STU held a 57-42 advantage in digs. 

UP NEXT: 

The Bobcats take on Missouri Baptist on Thursday, May 1 with first serve slated for 5 p.m. eastern time. 

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