Culver-Stockton Outlasts Graceland in Four Sets Despite Strong Opening Frame
LAMONI, Iowa — The Graceland University men's volleyball team dropped a four-set match to Culver-Stockton College (Mo.) Tuesday evening inside the Morden Center, falling by set scores of 25-23, 14-25, 20-25, and 22-25 in Heart of America Athletic Conference (HAAC) action.
With the result, the Yellowjackets fall to 2-18 overall and remain winless in HAAC play at 0-13. The visiting Wildcats improved to 2-21 on the season and earned their first conference win, moving to 1-12 in league competition.
Graceland executed a disciplined game plan in the opening set, hitting .300 as a team and converting timely attacks to secure the 25-23 win. Senior opposite Elijah Kline powered the offense with five of his 13 total kills coming in the first frame. Setter Christopher Sawyer distributed 10 assists in the set and finished the night with 29 assists overall.
The momentum shifted in the second set as Culver-Stockton responded with a .389 hitting percentage, led by Riko Davis and Henry Reeves. Graceland struggled offensively, committing four attack errors while producing 10 kills on 22 swings. The Wildcats went on a 10-2 run to take control, and the Yellowjackets could not recover, falling 25-14.
The third set saw another strong showing from the Wildcats, who maintained pressure behind the service line and extended rallies with effective coverage. Graceland was limited to a .000 hitting percentage in the set, notching eight kills and eight errors. Davis, who led all scorers with 14 kills, delivered multiple side-out points that staved off Graceland's attempts at momentum.
In the fourth, the Yellowjackets showed signs of resilience, with Andrew Youssef contributing a team-high 12 kills and 14.0 total points. A mid-set run brought Graceland back into contention, highlighted by back-to-back blocks from Kalanikapu Aona. Graceland briefly tied the score at 21-21 after a block assist from Aona and Andrew Cziep, but Culver-Stockton closed the match with a 4-1 scoring run, capped by a Graceland attack error.
"We competed hard in spurts, but we need to finish sets with more execution," head coach Eric Majors said postmatch. "We've got guys giving us consistent effort—Chris [Sawyer] kept us in system, and our middles had solid moments. But ultimately, we need to clean up the errors and sustain our energy throughout the match."
Graceland posted a .135 hitting percentage for the match with 36 kills on 96 attempts and 23 errors. Kline led the team with 15.0 total points, adding one service ace and one solo block. Youssef and Cziep followed with 14.0 and 9.5 points, respectively.
The Wildcats edged the Yellowjackets in total points (59.0–49.0), aces (7–4), and team digs (33–27). Davis tallied 16.0 points on 14 kills and two blocks, while Reeves added 10 kills at a .500 clip. Setter Matt Reese facilitated the Culver-Stockton attack with 27 assists.
Graceland's blocking game registered eight solo blocks and two block assists, with Aona contributing four solo stuffs. Despite out-blocking the Wildcats 10.0 to 5.0, the Yellowjackets were undone by unforced errors, including eight service miscues and 23 attack errors.
The Yellowjackets will return to action Friday evening as they travel to Oskaloosa, Iowa, to face William Penn University. First serve is scheduled for 7 p.m. inside the Penn Activity Center.
For more information on Graceland men's volleyball and all of Graceland athletics, visit GUjackets.com.