RedStorm starts fast, collects first-ever home win

Rio Grande Sports Information
     RIO GRANDE, Ohio - Of the handful of wins enjoyed by the University of Rio Grande men's volleyball team since the program got off the ground last year, none had come on the RedStorm's home court.
     Until Friday night, that is.
     Head coach Nick Rawls' squad exploded to an easy first set win and rode the momentum over each of the next two stanzas en route to a 3-0 (25-11, 25-23, 25-22) victory over Carolina University in non-conference play at the Newt Oliver Arena.
     Rio Grande improved to 4-10 with the victory, avenging a four-set road loss to the Bruins earlier this year.
     Carolina, which is a member of the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA), dropped to 3-8 as a result of the loss.
     Rio Grande raced to a 15-3 lead out of the gate in the opening set and never looked back in taking the early match lead.
     It was the Bruins, though, who scored six of the first nine winners in set two and who still had the lead as late as 20-19 after a service ace by Raheem Thomas.
     However, it was the RedStorm who finished off the set with three of the final four points, including a kill by junior Caden Donaldson (Jackson, OH) to culminate the period.
     Carolina also led early in set three and was up 17-15 following a kill by Bryson Abernathy, but Rio Grande closed things out with 10 of the final 15 winners.
     A service error by the Bruins' Tijhmir Glasco snapped an 18-all tie and put the RedStorm in front to stay, while a kill by Donalson once again closed out the set - and the match.
     Rio finished with a .236 attack percentage (34 kills, 13 errors, 89 swings), with Donaldson and sophomore Sam Kaylor (Lewis Center, OH) doing the bulk of the damage.
     Donaldson finished with a match-high 13 kills - in addition to a match-high four service aces - and Kaylor added 10 kills of his own.
     Freshman Mitch Bartecki (New Lenox, IL) totaled 29 assists in the winning effort, while sophomore Bobby Meifert (Bolingbrook, IL) had 17 digs and Sam Winhoven was credited with six block assists.
     Mason Chambers had 10 kills to lead Carolina, while Glasco had 25 assists and two service aces.
     Steven Wilson contributed 10 digs in a losing cause for the Bruins, who finished with 29 kills and 18 errors in 103 attacks for a .107 swing percentage.
     Rio Grande will try to make it two in a row at home on Saturday night when it dives back into Mid-South Conference play against Campbellsville University.
     First serve is set for 7 p.m.