FORT VALLEY, Ga. - Quincy battled through another five-set thriller Saturday afternoon, but this time it was Fort Valley State that prevailed, defeating the Hawks 3-2 (13-25, 25-20, 25-21, 22-25, 12-15). Quincy held late leads in both the fourth and fifth sets, but decisive Wildcat runs sealed the victory.

Fort Valley State set the tone early, racing to a 10-1 advantage in the opening frame behind four kills and six blocks. The Hawks struggled to find rhythm offensively, hitting -.091 with nine errors, while the Wildcats hit an efficient .667 to claim the set 25-13.

Quincy responded in set two with a more balanced effort. With the score tied at 10, the Hawks used three blocks from Tomas Badan during a six-of-eight-point stretch to build a 16-13 lead. After Fort Valley State trimmed the margin to one, Quincy answered with a 5-1 run highlighted by two kills, a block, and a service ace. Back-to-back points from Bauer Larson sealed the 25-20 set win as the Hawks hit .278.

The Hawks carried that momentum into set three, jumping out to a 5-1 lead and later reclaiming control with a six-of-eight-point surge to go ahead 18-15. Despite hitting just .097, Quincy capitalized on Wildcat miscues, and consecutive kills from Larson and Isaiah Travis secured a 25-21 victory and a 2-1 match lead.

Quincy appeared poised to close the match in four sets, building a 12-7 advantage and later holding an 18-13 lead. Fort Valley State responded with a 6-0 run fueled by three kills and a service ace to take the lead. After the teams were tied at 21, the Wildcats scored four of the final five points to steal the set 25-22 and force a fifth.

The Hawks surged ahead early in the deciding set, taking a 7-3 lead and later holding an 11-9 advantage following consecutive kills from Zackary Zdrojeski. Fort Valley State answered with a decisive 5-0 run to reach match point. Quincy added one final point, but a service error ended the match as the Wildcats secured the 15-12 win.

As a team, Quincy recorded 38 kills and hit .090, while Fort Valley State totaled 51 kills and hit .180. The Wildcats controlled the defensive battle with advantages in blocks and digs, while the Hawks led the service line with 11 aces.

Zdrojeski and Travis paced the Hawks with 10 kills each. Zdrojeski tied his career high and finished with a career-best 14.5 points, while Travis posted a career-high 12.5 points and hit an efficient .529. Badan totaled four blocks and six points, surpassing 250 career points. Trey Severson distributed 25 assists and recorded a career-high 11 digs, while Ariq Casas added 10 digs to match his career best.

Fort Valley State was led by Isaiah Fedd, who produced a match-high 24 kills, 27.5 points, and 12 digs. Keaton Long contributed across the board with eight kills, two aces, and a match-high five blocks.

Quincy will look to return to the win column when it hosts Kentucky State inside Pepsi Arena. First serve is set for 6:00 PM as the Hawks hold a Blue Out in support of the Make-A-Wish Foundation. The evening will include a 50/50 raffle, with proceeds benefiting Make-A-Wish as part of the Week of Wishes initiative.