BRISTOL, Tenn. – The King University men's volleyball team opened their season against NCAA Division I foe Purdue Fort Wayne University on Friday evening. The Tornado hung tough, but in the end it was the Mastodons that took the 3-0 victory.
THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: Purdue Fort Wayne 3, King 0
LOCATION: Student Center Complex; Bristol, Tenn.
RECORDS: King 0-1, Purdue Fort Wayne 1-0
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Set
- Both teams opened with their offenses playing well as Purdue Fort Wayne hit .500 in the opening set while King hit .429.
- The King offense was balance with three kills apiece from Suetonius Harris, Kellan Kennedy and Diego Marcano.
- A Harris ace gave King an early advantage as the Tornado opened up an 8-4 lead.
- However, the Mastodons worked their way back and evened the set at 16.
- The teams went back-and-forth before Purdue Fort Wayne scored the final four points to take the set 25-21.
Second Set
- The Mastodon defense tightened up in the second set, holding King to a -.125 attack percentage.
- The Tornado worked their way back from an early deficit and evened the tally at 10 with a Marcano kill.
- King continued to keep the set close, but in the end, Purdue Fort Wayne took the set 25-19.
Third Set
- The Mastodon offense picked in the third set again, hitting .407.
- Purdue Fort Wayne extended their early lead to 16-7 before the Tornado started to chip away.
- A Jackson Carroll ace highlighted a 4-0 Tornado spurt that pulled King within 17-14.
- However, the Mastodons pulled away again, taking the set 25-20 and the match 3-0.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Marcano, Kennedy and Harris all led King with six kills each.
- Carroll added four kills while Aiden Swatzell chipped added one kill.
- On the defensive end, Noah Melendez accounted for a match-high 10 digs.
FOR THE FOES
- Jon Diedrich led Purdue Fort Wayne with 12 kills and six digs.
- Bryce Walker added 12 kills and four blocks while Kade Bontrager chipped in with nine kills, five digs and three blocks.
- Troy Gooch led the defense with seven digs.
UP NEXT
- King returns to the court on Friday when they travel to take on the University of Charleston. First serve from Charleston, W.Va. is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.
- Purdue Fort Wayne takes on Lincoln Memorial University on Saturday night.
