QUINCY, Ill. – The Quincy University men's volleyball team got in the win column by defeating last year's NAIA National Champions on Saturday night (Jan. 18). The Hawks defeated Benedictine University at Mesa in three sets 28-26, 25-23, and 25-20. 

1st Set
The Redhawks of Benedictine jumped ahead early. Quincy found themselves in a 7-2 hole to start off the opening set behind four kills and a pair of service aces. 

Three straight errors on the Redhawks cut their lead to 8-6, allowing QU to gain some momentum. 

Omari Wheeler slammed down a kill followed by an attack error on BU to tie the game at 9-9. 

Zach Reider gave the Hawks their first lead after a service ace made it 11-10 QU. Another attack error on the Redhawks boosted the Quincy lead to two on the next point. 

Benedictine tied the score up 15-15 after a service ace, then took over the lead with another ace. 

Quincy quickly answered with two points in a row to regain the lead. The Hawks then forced the first timeout by BU after gaining a 19-16 advantage. 

The Redhawks went on a 5-2 run to tie the score yet again at twenty-one apiece. 

BU had set point, but Omari Wheeler got a kill to tie the score at 24-24. Michael Ladner came up big off the bench and collected a service ace. 

Both teams went back and forth late in the first set but the Hawks came up with set-sealing kills from Zach Reider and Omari Wheeler. QU won set one 28-26. 

2nd Set
Similar to the first set, the Redhawks jumped out to the early lead, 4-1. The Hawks climbed back within reach when they cut the score to 5-4. Two attack errors allowed QU to get within one. 

Quincy slipped back behind after a 5-2 run by Benedictine as the score moved to 10-6. The Hawks responded with three points in a row to make it a one-point game. 

A few points later, QU tied the game at twelve points apiece and kept things rolling when a Zach Reider block gave them the lead, 14-13. 

The remainder of set two was played closely by both teams. Neither squad could gain more than a two point lead until the end. Quincy held on to win set two by a final count of 25-23. 

3rd Set
The Hawks and Redhawks worked an early 3-3 tie in the first six points. Two kills by Eddie Jakubauskas, and a bad set on BU allowed Quincy to go ahead 5-3.

Benedictine came back with an answer by working a 7-7 tie. 

Neither team could gain distance from the other as the highly competitive set moved to a 12-12 tie. The lead for either squad could not crest two points. 

Zach Reider gave the Hawks a 14-13 lead after he slammed down a kill from the middle blocking position. 

The Hawks finally gained a slight lead when a service error and an attack error brought QU's lead to 18-15. BU called their first timeout of the set. 

Quincy closed things out with a 7-4 run to seal their first victory of the 2020 season over the defending NAIA National Champions. The Hawks won set three 25-20. 

Stat Leaders
Omari Wheeler – 17 kills and 5 digs
Eddie Jakubauskas – 12 kills and 6 digs

QU's Record
1-3

Next Game
The men's volleyball program will be back in action tomorrow (Jan. 19) as they take on Campbellsville University in Pepsi Arena at 2 p.m.