ST. LOUIS –The Maryville men's volleyball team stretched its winning streak to four with a 25-15, 25-22, 25-18 sweep of Edward Waters University. Aidan Whitemountain paced the attack with 10 kills and a .500 hitting percentage. Ethan Tran finished with eight digs, while Jake Usher notched 30 assists.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
Tied at 5-5 in the first set, the Saints scored four straight to take the lead. AJ Robateau had a kill, and EWU committed three straight errors for a 9-5 lead. The Saints margin was still 12-10 before embarking on a 9-1 burst to take command. Luke Martinez started the run with a kill and a block with Whitemountain. Martinez followed with another kill and block sequence. A Makai Scott kill ended the spree for a 21-11 advantage and the Saints closed out the win. Maryville hit .300 in the opener while holding EWU to a -.037 mark.
 
In the second, the Tigers took a narrow 3-2 edge but the Saints surged ahead with a 7-1 burst. Martinez started the run with a kill, and EWU had an error. Makai Nzioki served an ace with Scott following with a kill. After an EWU error, Scott and Whitemountain registered kills for a 9-4 lead. A Tigers hitting miscue put the Maryville lead at 13-7. The margin was 16-13 before the Saints tallied five of the next six points. An EWU error started the run, and a kill from Jonah Matthew pushed the Saints ahead 21-14. The Tigers got as close as 22-19 but Robateau had a kill and a Whitemountain ace gave Maryville set point. A kill from Nzioki ended the set 25-22.
 
An early 5-1 spree pushed the Saints lead to 7-3. Martinez had a kill to start a 4-1 run, and an EWU kill put the Saints on top 11-5. The advantage was 13-8 before the Saints took control with five straight points. EWU had an error and Scott and Whitemountain had consecutive kills. Peter Soczewka drilled down a kill for a 17-8 cushion. Later, Jake Usher had a kill and a Whitemountain point made it 20-12. EWU committed three errors down the stretch as the Saints won their fourth straight match.

STATISTICAL LEADERS
Kills: Aidan Whitemountain - 10
Hitting Percentage: Aidan Whitemountain - .500
Assists: Jake Usher - 30
Service Aces: Aidan Whitemountain - 1
Digs: Ethan Tran - 8
Blocks: Luke Martinez - 4
 
RECORDS
Maryville: 4-5
Edward Waters: 2-6
 
What's Next?
The Saints have a mini-break and are next in action Tuesday, Feb. 24, when they host UHSP for a 7 p.m. match in Moloney Arena.