WILBERFORCE, OHIO – Kevin Doran led a balanced Maryville men's volleyball team with nine kills and hit .571 as the Saints won at Central State 25-15, 25-22, 25-18. Luke Kraft and Makai Scott both finished with eight kills. Kraft also served seven aces to power the attack. The Saints hit .313 as a team while holding the Marauders to just a .068 mark.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
Holding a 9-7 led, Ethan Beyreis-Heim tipped in a kill to start a 4-0 run. Doran followed, and Beyreis-Heim served an ace. Another kill by Doran led to a 13-7 cushion for the Saints. Maryville still led 14-9 before scoring four of the next five points and eventually went up 18-10. The Saints used three straight points en route to winning the first set.
 
Up 6-5 in the second, Tristan Benbow put down a kill to spark a 4-0 run. Kraft served consecutive aces, and a CSU error made it 10-5. Scott and Benbow finished off plays to build a 12-6 advantage. The hosts got their deficit down to 15-13 but the Saints steadied themselves after kills by Doran and Kraft. CSU made it 19-18 before Kraft and Doran drilled down kills. A triple block pushed the Saints ahead 22-18. The teams traded points before Scott's kill ended the set.
 
Set three was tied at 6-6 before the Saints took control with five unanswered points. After a CSU error, Beyreis-Heim and Benbow had a block. The Marauders committed another miscue before Kraft served up consecutive aces for an 11-6 margin. After a kill by Doran, CSU had an error and two Saints blocks built the lead to 17-9. Central chipped away at its deficit and trimmed the gap to 19-16 but three straight points helped the Saints close out the contest.

STATISTICAL LEADERS
Kills: Kevin Doran - 9
Hitting Percentage: Kevin Doran - .571
Assists: Ethan Beyreis-Heim - 30
Service Aces: Luke Kraft - 7
Digs: Zac Clark - 7
Blocks: Ethan Beyreis-Heim - 5

RECORDS
Maryville: 9-7
Central State: 5-11
 
What's Next?
The Saints move on to Fort Wayne, Ind., to face Purdue Fort Wayne Tuesday, March 11. Read Full Article