Vikings Stall Mustangs in Four

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - The Mount Mercy men's volleyball team fell at home to the Grand View Vikings in a conference matchup. Despite winning the first set 25-23 in a hard-fought battle, the Vikings responded by taking the next three sets—17-25, 22-25, and 20-25—sealing a 3-1 victory over the Mustangs.

The opening set was a back-and-forth contest, with the Mustangs overcoming a four-point deficit to secure a 25-23 win. Capitalizing on late errors by the Vikings and a .219 team attack percentage, Mount Mercy took an early 1-0 lead in the match.

Momentum shifted in set two as the Vikings stalled the Mustangs' offense. The Vikings held the Mustangs to a .115 hitting percentage and just 10 kills in a dominant 25-17 victory. The Mustangs fought back in set three, but the Vikings' strong net defense limited them to a .125 hitting percentage, giving Grand View the edge.

With a 2-1 match lead, the Vikings and Mustangs battled point for point in the early stages of the fourth set. However, Grand View pulled ahead to a 19-14 lead, and late service errors committed by the Mustangs allowed the Vikings to secure a 25-20 set win and a 3-1 match victory.

Guglielmo Illotti led the Mustang offense with 11 kills, five digs, and two blocks. Gabor Toth contributed nine kills, while Raphael Massara added six kills and four blocks. Gustavo Bauer orchestrated the offense with 25 assists and nine digs, and Richard Struska anchored the defense with 12 digs.

The Vikings' attack featured three players in double-digit kills. Daniel Galili led with 14 kills on a .216 attack percentage, while Ryan Griffel and Leonardo Annichini added 12 and 10 kills, respectively.

The Mustangs will return to the court at home on February 21 as they host the Park Pirates to Hennessey Recreation Center starting at 7:00 p.m.