(Mesa, AZ) The Park University Gilbert men’s volleyball team fell against the second ranked team in the country Benedictine Mesa, 3-0 (25-21, 25-9, 25-19) this afternoon at Bell Bank Park in Mesa, Ariz.
This was going to be a tough matchup for the Buccaneers who were facing a team who had already defeated a Division I program earlier in the season. The Redhawks were also the only undefeated team in the California Pacific Conference entering the contest. Park Gilbert also has never defeated Benedictine Mesa, losing the previous six matches coming into today’s contest.
With the loss, the Buccaneers fall to 1-11 on the season, 1-7 in conference play. Benedictine Mesa ups its record to 15-3, 8-0 in conference.
In the first set, Benedictine Mesa jumped out early and had a 20-11 lead before the Bucs won 10 of the final 15 points to make the set more competitive.
The second set saw the Redhawks come out with more focus as they dominated play throughout the set to the tune of a 25-9 win. BENU had 17 kills and only one error in the set. Park hit negatively in the set with five kills and six errors.
Park Gilbert came back in the third set and made it competitive once again as it was 15-15 before the Redhawks finished the match on a 10-4 run to close things out.
The Redhawks dominated the stat sheet with 42 kills and hitting .375 to only 20 kills for the Buccaneers, who hit .048. BENU had nine aces, while the Bucs had six, each team had five blocks.
David Shafer (8) and Ben Turcinec (7) led the Buccaneers offensively with 15 of the Bucs 20 kills. Shafer only had one attack error to hit .438. Turcinec also had four service aces.
Park Gilbert has little time to lick its wounds as they return to the court tomorrow night, Monday, Match 13 at 6 p.m. as it hosts Viterbo University at Bell Bank Park.
Press Release courtesy of Park University Athletics – Preston English
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