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Men’s Volleyball Beats Tomcats in Straight Sets

Nick Reilman (photo courtesy of Jackie Kasai '23)
Nick Reilman (photo courtesy of Jackie Kasai '23)

GREENVILLE, Pa. – The Baldwin Wallace University men's volleyball faced Thiel (Pa.) College in a non-conference match inside Beeghly Gymnasium. After a comeback win in set one, the Yellow Jackets (9-2) rallied to earn statement wins over the Tomcats (4-7) in set two and three. BW won the match by final set scores of 28-26, 25-19, and 25-16.

BW was led by All-Midwest Collegiate Volleyball League Michael Beard (Hilliard/Darby) as he tallied a match-high 13 kills and added seven digs. Junior outside hitter Nick Reilman (Medina/Walsh Jesuit) notched a career-high 15 digs and posted six kills and two aces.

1st Set 

  • After being down at 14-10 and again at 19-12, the Yellow Jackets rally to go on an 8-2 run, closing the gap to just one point (21-20 Thiel)
  • Beard tools the block on the left pin, knotting the game up at 24-24
  • BW earned the advantage point (26-25) with a block by sophomore right side hitter Michael Devlin (Zelienople, Pa./Seneca Valley) and freshman middle hitter Josh Steinitz (Towson, Md./Friends School of Baltimore), forcing Thiel to its second timeout
  • Out of the break, a block by Devlin sealed the deal on set one as the Yellow Jackets claimed the come-from-behind win (28-26)

2nd Set

  • A block by Steinitz put the Yellow Jackets up 9-2 to start set two
  • After being down ten points, the Tomcats rallied to outscore the Yellow Jackets 11-3 and close the gap to just two points (18-16 BW)
  • The Yellow Jackets tallied three straight points out of their timeout with two kills by Beard and an ace from Steinitz, earning the Yellow Jackets a 21-16 advantage
  • A kill from junior middle hitter Chris Moehl (Oceanside, Calif./El Camino) earned the set two win, 25-19
  • BW hit .385 as a team in set two, totaling 13 kills 

3rd Set

  • A big block by Devlin and Moehl earned the 12-6 advantage for the Yellow Jackets to begin the third set
  • BW extended the lead to eight points with a kill from Steinitz (18-10)
  • Junior setter Brandon Long (Hinckley/Metea Valley, Ill.) tooled the block on an overpass to put the Yellow Jackets within reach of the win at 22-15
  • A kill by Beard on the right pin finished the set (25-16) and the match (3-0) 

The Yellow Jackets return to the hardwood on Saturday, February 4 as they host Concordia University Chicago and Medaille (N.Y.) University for a non-conference tri-match. BW will face Concordia-Chicago at 1:00 p.m. and will take on the Mavericks at 5:00 p.m. in the Ursprung Gymnasium inside the Lou Higgins Center.