Purdue Fort Wayne
6-1,0-0MIVA
Queens
1-6,0-0DI Independent
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Mastodon MVB Moves to 6-1 With Win Over Queens
1/28/2023 4:48:00 PM | Men's Volleyball
FORT WAYNE, Ind. - The Purdue Fort Wayne men's volleyball team picked up its fifth win in a row on Saturday afternoon (Jan. 28), taking down Queens 25-23, 25-22, 25-21 on the Arnie Ball Court.
The last home match in the Mastodons' seven-match homestand to start 2023 featured a team that Purdue Fort Wayne will be playing every year moving forward, as Queens will join the MIVA on July 1, 2023.
The 'Dons passed their test against their future conference foe, with their two best pin hitters leading the charge. Jon Diedrich and Mark Frazier had 15 and 13 kills, respectively, with Diedrich hitting an efficient .414.
The offense was clicking in set one for the 'Dons, as they hit .387 as a team. Queens led 14-11 before the Mastodons returned fire with a few two-point pushes that eventually put them up 21-19. Queens tied the set at 23 before Diedrich got a kill, then Sergio Carrillo aced the visiting Royals. Wilmer Hernandez had four of his six digs in the opening frame.
The two teams traded individual points and mini-runs until the Royals led 20-19. The Mastodons rattled off four in a row, which included a kill from Frazier, an ace from Carlos Mercado, and a block from Frazier and Bryce Walker. The 'Dons went to Diedrich for set point to go up 2-0. The Mastodons held Queens to .045 hitting in the second.
Queens went up 6-2 to start three, but it did not take too long before the 'Dons evened the score at 10. Purdue Fort Wayne led 13-11 after a 5-1 push that included four Queens errors. The Royals were square with the Mastodons at 19 before Purdue Fort Wayne closed the door on the match with a 6-2 stretch over the final eight points. Axel Melendez Watts saw his first action of the match in set three, hitting 3-0-4 for .750
The Mastodons finished with 10.5 blocks, led by six from Ryan Steponaitis and five from Diedrich and Frazier. Queens was led by 11 kills from Daniel Leitao.
Purdue Fort Wayne improves to 6-1 while Queens falls to 1-6. All six of the Mastodons' wins this season have been 3-0 sweeps. They are extending their best start to a season since 2018.
The Mastodons will hit the road for the first time next week, traveling to the site of the 2023 National Collegiate Volleyball Championship. The 'Dons will play Mount Olive and George Mason in Fairfax, Virginia in the DC Challenge.
~ Feel the Rumble ~
