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SVU Netters Fall
The Southern Virginia University men’s volleyball team concluded its season with a heartbreaking 3-2 loss to New York University in the NCAA Division III quarterfinals on Saturday at Washington and Lee University’s Holekamp Gym in Lexington.
SVU (29-1), which had a n undefeated regular season before winning the Continental Volleyball Conference championship, had reached the NCAA quarterfinals by beating St. Joseph’s (Long Island) 3-0 on Friday night at Holekamp.
Despite a valiant effort, the Knights, who were ranked No. 1 late in the season, succumbed to NYU (20-7) in a closely contested match, with the Bobcats winning 18-25, 25-19, 25-23, 15-25, 15-13. NYU advanced to the NCAA semifinals in Dubuque, Iowa, where they will face Vassar College on Friday.
The NYU defense proved to be a formidable obstacle for SVU’s high-flying hitters, amassing an impressive 16 blocks. Despite this challenge, the Knights maintained their offensive prowess, leading in kills (61-45), assists (58-38), and digs (58-42).
In the opening set, SVU asserted its dominance with a convincing 25-18 victory, highlighted by a stellar six-point run led by Jeremy Brown, Christian Sheaffer and Kyler Evans, who all contributed crucial kills.
However, the Knights faced setbacks in the second and third sets, as NYU capitalized on service aces and blocks to secure narrow victories.
Undeterred, SVU showcased its resilience in the fourth set, embarking on an unanswered nine-point run en route to a commanding 25-15 win. Despite their strong performance, the Knights fell short in the final set, plagued once again by attack errors and service errors, resulting in a narrow 13-15 loss.
Although they held NYU to a .168 hitting percentage, the Knights’ efforts were ultimately not enough to overcome their opponents’ determined defense.
Christian Sheaffer and Evans led the team in kills with 15 and 14, respectively, while Brown contributed 12 kills. Justin Madsen stepped up defensively, contributing 16 digs.
In the first round against St. Joseph’s (25-7) on Friday , SVU won 25-22, 25-22, 2518. Brown led the Knights with 11 kills, while Christian Sheaffer had eight kills, three aces and four blocks.
SVU bids farewell to senior setter Tyler Sheaffer, whose contributions both on and off the court have been invaluable since joining the team in 2021. His leadership and dedication have left an indelible mark on the program.
While the tournament may have ended in disappointment, the Knights remain proud of their achievements and look forward to building upon their success in the seasons to come.
For all the most up-to-date information regarding SVU volleyball, visit knightathletics. com and follow @knightmvolleyball on Instagram.
Claytor Player Of Week SVU sophomore Katie Claytor, a 2022 PM graduate, was named USA South Athletic Conference softball player of the week for the week of April 8-14.
Claytor, a shortstop, went a combined 9-for-13 (.692) with a .750 on-base percentage, and a 1.385 slugging percentage to go along with six runs scored, six RBIs, one double, one triple, two home runs, and three walks as the Knights posted a 4-0 record against USA South foes in North Carolina. In a doubleheader sweep of Salem on April 10, Claytor was a combined 4-for-7 with five runs scored, five RBI, two home runs, and one walk. In a doubleheader sweep of Meredith on April 13, Claytor was a combined 5-for-6 with one run scored, one run batted in, one double, one triple, and two walks.
The Knights entered this week with an overall record of 14-8 and a conference record of 10-6. For SVU softball updates, visit knighathletics. com.
