ST. LOUIS  – The Maryville men's volleyball team cruised past Central State University with a 3-1 decision Friday evening. The Saints posted a 24-26, 25-17, 25-14, 25-19 victory. Luke Kraft paced the Saints with 11 kills, while Makai Scott finished with 10. Maryville dominated on the blocking side of the ball and posted 14.0 team blocks. Ethan Beyreis-Heim handed out 30 assists, while Zac Clark tied his season high with 10 digs, and Kevin Doran recorded eight blocks.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Marauders took set one late before the Saints evened up the score in the second. Maryville tallied four straight points keyed by two blocks for a 9-4 advantage. Kraft had a kill to start another 4-1 spree, capped with a kill by Kevin Doran. CSU got as close as 19-15 but the Saints scored four consecutive points to seal the win. The Maryville defense held CSU to a -.091 hitting percentage.
 
The Saints were only leading 9-8 in set three but sprinted ahead on the strength of a 7-0 run. Cameron Lee started the run and Scott chipped in a kill and a block. After a Kraft ace, CSU had an error, and David Fleischer put down a kill on an overpass. Another kill from Scott put the Saints ahead. 16-8. A late 5-1 spree put the set away as the Saints hit .375 in the stanza.
 
Midway through the fourth set, the Saints were clinging to a 13-12 margin. Scott put down a kill and followed with a solo block and another termination. Following a Kraft ace, a CSU error pushed the Saints on top 18-13. Maryville took control with four unanswered points. The Marauders committed three straight errors and a Kraft kill made it 22-14.

STATISTICAL LEADERS
Kills: Luke Kraft - 11
Hitting Percentage: Kevin Doran - .385
Assists: Ethan Beyreis-Heim - 30
Service Aces: Luke Kraft - 3
Digs: Zac Clark - 10
Blocks: Kevin Doran - 8 

RECORDS
Maryville: 3-5
Central State: 1-6
 
What's Next?
The Saints are next in action with a road contest at Rockhurst University Friday, Feb. 14. Read Full Article