Reinhardt Keeps Rolling in MSC Win Over Warner (Fla.)

By Mike DeVader, Reinhardt Director of Athletic Communications & Media

Photo Courtesy of Roger St Clair

WALESKA, Ga. – Men's volleyball got back above .500 for the first time since the season began on Thursday night after taking down the Royals of Warner (Fla.) in the Mid-South Conference (MSC) opener inside the Brown Athletic Center in four sets, 25-17, 28-30, 25-22, 25-17.

Reinhardt is now 4-3 (3-0 MSC) and has won three-consecutive matches within league play.

"Huge win for the guys and program tonight," head coach CJ Shearer said. "I respect what Coach Lustosa has done with Warner's program and they are an extremely talented team; our guys respected that today and came out hungry. They played together, for each other, and really enforced our brand of volleyball. They responded incredibly well to adverse moments – got after it defensively – and time and time again came up with clutch plays when needed. I'm proud of what these young men are doing, and excited to see where this program continues to go.

"Everything goes to God, and we look forward to Webber on Saturday."

The Eagles were able to put together a strong performance that saw them combine to hit .280 on the night, including three players – Victor Pacheco (15 kills), Chase Cross (15) and Matthew Corrales (13) – collect double-digit kills in the triumph.

Additionally, no one in the trio hit below .273.

The Royals, who were receiving votes in the 2021 NAIA Men's Volleyball Coaches' Top 15 Poll, struggled out of the gate to the tune of a .057 hitting percentage, which helped the hometown team roll to a 1-0 advantage on the scoreboard. Reinhardt was also aided by nine Warner miscues in the opening stanza.

The visitors completely flipped the script in game two and connected at a .343 clip to make set two a back-and-forth affair. In fact, the stanza was tied on numerous occasions, especially late, as each squad had a chance to take control. However, errors on both sides continuously kept the opposition within striking distance, and it was the Royals who were able to string back-to-back scores together to tie the match at 1-1.

The outcome was still very much in the balance in the third game as the slugfest continued. Warner held a lead by three at 16-13 when the Eagles put together five-straight points to move back in front, 18-16, and eventually, 20-17.

That would be enough for Reinhardt to hold on to the end and close out the set on a 4-2 run for a 2-1 advantage overall.

The Eagles would take over in the fourth-and-final game and soar out to a 9-3 cushion and never look back. Each time the Royals would string together some scores, Reinhardt would have an answer to slow the rally attempt and cruise to the positive outcome.

The hometown club did a great job on the defensive side of the net while gathering 44 digs, led individually by Corrales' nine, along with three additional teammates with eight defensive receptions.

The Eagles were also strong at the net with 12 assisted blocks and six solo rejections.

Ricardo Mujica had 40 assists.

The conference homestand continues on Saturday morning with a matchup against Webber International (Fla.) at 11 a.m. 

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For more information on Reinhardt Men's Volleyball, please click here.