ST LOUIS, Mo. – The Trine University men's volleyball team traveled to Fontbonne University to compete in the Midwest Collegiate Volleyball League (MCVL) Tournament for the second time in program history. The host institution and top-seeded Fontbonne Griffins were able to defeat the Trine Thunder in straight sets on Friday night to advance to the MCVL Championship Match.
The season comes to a close at 12-14 overall, with multiple season records falling in the process. Ted Hofmeister [Powell, Ohio / Saint Charles] secured the school record for most kills and points per set at 3.48 and 3.9, Ethan Howard [South Whitley, Ind. / Witko] now holds the mark for assists per set at 9.94, and Matt Stillman [Mokena, Ill. / Lincoln Way Central] is the new season record holder for all four block records at 17 solo blocks, 41 block assists, 58 total blocks and 0.81 blocks per set.
As a team, the Thunder broke the single season records for most kills (1130), attack percentage (.211), assists (1070), digs (1058), blocks (163) and points (1409). Graduating senior Kyle Dixon [Lockport, Ill. / Lockport Township] will end up being the career leader in kills (652), aces (55), points (751) and most matches (86) and sets (270) played.
In the first set, a string of seven points out of eight for the Griffins propelled them to a 14-7 advantage. After a Thunder timeout, Stillman and Kevin Boncaro [Rochester, N.Y. / Rush Henrietta] helped lead the charge for a 9-1 run to claim a 16-15 lead. The teams fought tooth-and-nail to the end as Hofmeister recorded a pair of clutch kills to keep Trine in the hunt, but alas Fontbonne was able to grab a one-set lead with a 27-25 win.
The Thunder used momentum from a tough first to jump start their second set. Nick Woolley [Plainfield, Ill. / Plainfield North] had a service ace in the midst of a 9-4 run, leading to a Griffin timeout. Trine got out to a 14-7 lead of their own in the second, but were unable to maintain that pace for the duration of the set. Fontbonne put up seven in a row to lead 20-19, and a late timeout with the Thunder up 22-21 led to four points out of five and the 25-23 victory.
The Griffins had the immediate edge in the third and went up 8-1, but even still, Trine remained hungry to prove themselves. The Thunder cut the lead to as little as two on eight separate occasions throughout the third, but were unable to get over that hump and close the gap. A block by Howard and Sam Buckingham [Saginaw, Mich. / Nouvel Catholic Central] late in the match was not enough to turn the tide as Fontbonne advanced to the championship round with a 25-21 set three win.
Boncaro finished with a double-double with team-highs in kills with 12 and digs at 11. Hofmeister was also in double figures with 10 kills. Howard distributed 33 assists and All-League libero Hunter Haas [Cincinnati, Ohio / Bishop Moeller] had 10 digs in the back row.