Pride earn first win of 2025 in resounding 3-0 sweep of Graceland
DUBUQUE, Iowa - Finishing off a three-event day in the Kehl Center, the Clarke University men's volleyball team sent the Pride faithful home happy with a 3-0 sweep win over Graceland University on Saturday night.
The Pride had by far their best overall match of the early part of the season, especially offensively, hitting for a .411 hitting percentage with 40 kills, a season-high, and just 10 errors, a season-low, on 73 attempts while producing a season-high 12 aces to score another season-high in points scored in a match with 55.
Sophomore setter Benjamin Reiser had the best match of his young career finishing with career-highs in his 29 assists, eight digs, and producing three kills on four attack attempts as his connection with middles Tanner May and Michael Pettke as well as right side Justin Hernandez stood out all night for CU.
Hernandez led the match with 12 kills on 21 swings and just two errors for a .476 hitting percentage as the senior also added three aces and two blocks for a 16-point night as Pettke added a career-high eight kills on 16 attempts with two errors for a .375 hitting percentage, and May only missed on one swing all night going 7-for-8 with an error for a .750, early career-highs for the junior transfer from San Diego, Calif.
After finishing Tuesday, match against Grand View with a solid third set, freshman outside hitter Noah Whalen got the start as one of the two outside hitters as he helped provid a pair of lengthy scoring runs for the Pride in each of the second and third sets, first serving behind a 6-0 CU run to go from down 9-6 to up 12-9 as he earned three-straight aces to tie the score at 9-9 and forced a Yellowjacket timeout.
Similarly in the third, Whalen wouldn't directly provide some of the offense but he would be on the serve for a 7-0 run to take Clarke and Graceland from a 7-7 tie to a 14-7 Pride lead before they would add a 5-0 run to go up 21-9 and eventually close out the match with a 25-13 win in the third following a pair of 25-20 wins in the first and second.
Clarke men's volleyball will have a busy week on their home floor next week starting with another match in Heart of America Athletic Conference play when they host William Penn University on Tuesday, Feb. 18 for a 7:00 p.m. CT scheduled first serve in the Kehl Center.