Graceland Falls in Three Sets to Clarke in Conference Matchup

DUBUQUE, Iowa – The Graceland University men's volleyball team competed against Clarke University on Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025, but fell in straight sets (20-25, 20-25, 13-25) in a Heart of America Athletic Conference match at Clarke's home court. Despite a strong start in the opening two sets, the Yellowjackets were unable to overcome Clarke's efficient attacking and aggressive serving.

With the loss, Graceland falls to 2-8 overall and 0-3 in conference play, while Clarke improves to 1-6 overall and 1-1 in the Heart of America Athletic Conference.

Match Recap

Set 1: Clarke 25, Graceland 20

The Yellowjackets opened the first set with strong offensive contributions, including early kills from Elijah Kline and Andrew Cziep. Setter Luis Garcia helped pace the attack with multiple assists, setting up hitters for efficient swings. Graceland held a tight exchange of points early on, leading 8-7 after a kill from Andrew Youssef. However, Clarke's Justin Hernandez and Tanner May swung the momentum, combining for multiple kills down the stretch. Clarke capitalized on late attack errors from the Yellowjackets to close the set at 25-20.

Set 2: Clarke 25, Graceland 20

Graceland responded well to start the second set, jumping out to a 4-0 lead behind a pair of service aces and a Clarke attack error. The Yellowjackets held control early, maintaining a 7-3 lead before Clarke strung together points on back-to-back kills from Hernandez and May. After a timeout, Clarke continued to apply pressure from the service line, using a three-point run on aces to regain control. Graceland stayed within striking distance at 19-21, but Clarke closed the set efficiently with a final service ace and kill to seal another 25-20 victory.

Set 3: Clarke 25, Graceland 13

The third set saw Clarke establish control from the opening points. The Yellowjackets struggled with serve receive, leading to multiple free ball opportunities for Clarke's offense. Graceland's Andrew Youssef managed to break up a four-point Clarke run with a kill at 5-7, but Clarke quickly responded with a dominant 8-2 stretch. The Yellowjackets couldn't recover, and Clarke completed the sweep with a 25-13 set win.

Stat Leaders

Graceland Yellowjackets

• Kills: Andrew Youssef (9), Andrew Cziep (6), Elijah Kline (5)
• Assists: Luis Garcia (21)
• Digs: AJ Rasquero (5), Luis Garcia (4), Benjamin Gorton-Hlg (2)
• Blocks: Kalanikapu Aona (2 BA), Elijah Kline (1 BA)
• Service Aces: AJ Rasquero (2), Elijah Kline (2), Luis Garcia (1)

Clarke Pride

• Kills: Justin Hernandez (12), Michael Pettke (8), Tanner May (7)
• Assists: Benjamin Reiser (29)
• Digs: Reiser (8), Eduardo Hernandez (4), Noah Whalen (4)
• Blocks: Pettke (2 BA), Hernandez (2 BA)
• Service Aces: Clarke totaled 12 aces, led by Hernandez (3) and Vescoso (3)

Up Next for Graceland

The Yellowjackets will take on Dordt at 7 p.m. this Tuesday inside the Morden Center in Lamoni, Iowa, on the beautiful campus of Graceland University.

For more information on Graceland men's volleyball and all of Graceland athletics, visit GUjackets.com.