LAURINBURG, N.C (February 17, 2024) - On Friday-Saturday, the Truett McConnell University men's volleyball team traveled to compete against St. Andrews University, Warren Wilson College and Bluefield University, where the Bears were featured finishing 1-2 on the weekend, falling to the Knights 3-0 (25-23, 29-27, 25-20) and bouncing back to sweep the Owls (3-0) in day one(25-22, 25-21, 25-18), and stumbling against the Rams on day two, 3-1 (25-22, 25-22, 14-25, 30-28).
DAY 1
MATCH 1 | TMU 0 - SAU 3
The first set began with the Bears first on the board. TMU continued to increase their early lead with a three-point rally, featuring a block assist by Caleb Bosveld and Troy McAlister. Both teams battled back and forth, eager to take the lead when a six-point rally by SAU, sent the Knights ahead. TMU worked hard to recover, successfully gaining the lead with kills by Nathan Hill, Alex Bosman and McAlister, when a last chance six point rally by SAU sealed the deal on set one, 23-25. The second set saw the Bears eager to recover from set one. A four point rally, featuring kills by Bosman and Bosveld, gave the Bears hope at securing the win as they increased the gap to three points. Both teams played with heart, eager to secure set two, when back-to-back errors by the Bears pushed TMU away from the win, 27-29. In the final set, the Knights were first on the board, TMU quickly responded with two kills by Adam Shuman, attempting to change the result of the match, when a four point rally by SAU ultimately gave the Knights set three, 20-25.
LEADERS
Bosman led the way with 12 kills, while Bosveld followed with eight kills and two block assists. Shuman tallied six kills and three block assists, while Wenksy Saintilmond had 26 assists and three block assists.
MATCH 2 | TMU 3 - WWC 0
PLAY-BY-PLAY
Set one saw the Bears hot out the gate with back-to-back kills by Bosveld. The Owls trailed the Bears closely as both teams fought for the lead when a four point rally by TMU, with kills by McAlister, Shuman and Bosveld sent the Bears ahead. A final kill by McAlister followed by an error on the opposing team ultimately settled set one, 25-22. A kill by Shuman began set two, giving TMU an early advantage over the Owls. Kills by Bosman and Bosveld continued to strength the Bears lead when two final consecutive kills by McAlister sealed set two, 25-21. The final set once again saw the Bears first on the board with a three-point rally, beginning with a service ace by Bosman. TMU continued to find success on the court, working as a team to keep the Owls at bay as four consecutive kills by the Bears proved TMU to be a tough competitor. A final kill by Stephen Dixon, followed by an error on WWC, ultimately brought the Bears a win in set three, 25-18.
LEADERS
Bosman, Shuman and McAlister all led the way for the Bears, contributing 11 kills apiece. Bosman followed closely behind with 10 kills and two service aces, while Saintilmond recorded 38 assists.
DAY 2
MATCH 1 | TMU 1 - BU 3
PLAY-BY-PLAY
Set one began with the Rams first on the board. TMU followed closely behind with a kill by Bosman to keep the set even. Both teams battled back and forth, eager to take the final lead, when a three-point rally by BU increased the margin to four. Two final kills by Bosveld attempted to keep the Rams at bay, long enough for TMU to take the lead but was ultimately not enough, falling in set one 22-25. Set two saw a shift in energy for the Bears, as a three point rally began the set. TMU continued to stay sharp, retaining a marginal lead when a five point rally by the Rams, overcame the Bears in set two, 22-25.
TMU was featured bouncing back in set three, taking down the Rams, 25-14, with kills by McAlister, Dixon and Shuman paving the way for the set win. Both teams battle hard in set four, eager to find the win, as two kills by Bosam kept TMU up by two. A strong performance by the Bears gave TMU hope at securing the set four win, when back-to-back kills by BU, ultimately took away the chance, falling in a hard fought battle, 28-30.
LEADERS
Bosman led the way with 15 kills, while Bosveld followed with nine kills. Dixon was featured contributing four kills, while Shuman had three kills. Saintilmond was featured recording 24 assists on the day.
UP NEXT
The Bears will be back in action at home on Tuesday, February 20, as they host AAC foe, Reinhardt University, inside the Harris Athletic Complex. Match time set for 6:00 p.m.
