ROMEOVILLE, ILL. – The Maryville men's volleyball faced a challenging task to start the 2025 season with a match at No. 14 Lewis but the Flyers defeated the Saints 25-19, 25-22, 25-22. Makai Scott recorded a double-double with 15 kills and 13 digs, and Luke Kraft added 10 kills. Ethan Beyreis-Heim handed out 36 assists, while Zac Clark recorded 10 kills to assist the defense.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Saints scored on the first point of the season and still led 3-2 after a Cameron Lee kill. Lewis took its first lead of the match before Makai Scott's kill tied the score at 4-4. Maryville was down just 7-6 as Lee put down another point. The Flyers tallied three straight to edge ahead. The Saints trailed 11-8 following a Scott finish but Lewis scored three consecutive points for a 14-8 advantage. Kills by Scott and Lee kept the Saints within striking distance at 17-12 but the Flyers built a 20-12 cushion. Maryville went on a 4-1 run but never got any closer than five points.
 
In the second set, Luke Kraft put down a kill to start a 3-0 run. He served an ace and AJ Robateau's kill gave the Saints a 6-4 advantage. Lewis answered with five consecutive points to take the lead. A Scott termination brought Maryville to 13-12 until the Flyers scored four of the next five points. Back-to-back kills by Scott and Kraft chopped the deficit to just 18-16. The Saints rallied to within 21-19 but Lewis held on for a 2-0 lead. The Saints hit .325 in the set with 18 kills.
 
Early in the third, Lee and Robateau combined on a block that saw the Saints get to within 8-6. The Flyers went on a 4-0 until Lewis committed an error and David Fleischer recorded a kill. Maryville stayed close after a Kraft kill and service ace to make it 16-13. The Saints were down 19-14 before three straight points to trimmed the gap to 19-17. The teams traded points and the Saints saved one match point until Lewis closed out the match.

STATISTICAL LEADERS
Kills: Makai Scott - 15
Hitting Percentage: Makai Scott - .444
Assists: Ethan Beyreis-Heim - 36
Service Aces: Luke Kraft - 2
Digs: Makai Scott - 13
Blocks: Cameron Lee and AJ Robateau - 1
 
RECORDS
Maryville: 0-1
No. 14 Lewis: 1-0
 
What's Next?
The Saints stay in the Windy City as they challenge No. 12 Loyola Chicago in a 7 p.m. match Saturday, Jan. 11. Read Full Article