Life U Athletics
Billy Mangum, Sports Information Director
MARIETTA, Ga. —- The No. 13 nationally ranked Life University men’s volleyball team swept the final day at the Running Eagles Classic Saturday with victories over Reinhardt (3-2) and Cumberland (3-0).
Life U improved to 3-0 on the year and totaled 48 block assists in the two games
Ryan Ollie led the Running Eagles offensively in the matchup with Reinhardt as the freshman tallied 17 kills with nine digs, three block assists and two service aces.
Felipe Gonzalez added 12 kills with four service aces, six digs and two block assists. Diego Perez also finished in double figures with 12 kills, seven block assists and a service ace.
Javier Cornier tallied 48 assists in the match as Diego Martinez led the team defensively with 17 digs.
As the back-and-forth affair began, Life U started early in the first set and did not relinquish the lead. The Running Eagles took the first set 25-19.
Late in set two, Life U trailed 17-15 as Reinhardt used a 5-1 run to extend its lead to 22-16. A quick 3-0 run wasn’t enough as Reinhardt tied the match 25-19.
Life U led 12-8 early in set three after a block from Ollie and Cabana. Reinhardt cut the lead to four late in the set, 18-14, but a 5-1 Life U run was finished by Gonzalez to give Life U the 23-15 advantage. Ollie put the set away to put the Running Eagles ahead in the match 25-18.
Life U jumped out to an early 9-4 lead in set four, however Reinhardt responded with a 6-2 run to cut the lead to one, 11-10. Trailing 24-20, Reinhardt forced a fifth set with six consecutive points to tie the match 26-24.
Life U again led early in set five 6-3, as Reinhardt kept the match within arms distance quickly scoring to bring the Eagles to within one, 6-5. Both teams battled back and forth with 2-0 runs until a service error gave Life U the 15-13 set and match win.
Life U narrowly edged Reinhardt in kills 58-56 and in hitting percentage, .254 – .244.
Life U held a dominant lead over Reinhardt in blocks 14-5 and tallied eight service aces to the five from the Eagles.
Both teams committed 25 errors during the match.
Gonzalez paced the Running Eagles offensively in the second match with 20 kills, five digs, two block assists, a service ace and a solo block.
Ollie added nine kills with five block assists and four digs as Alex Cabana led the team with seven block assists.
Cornier tallied 36 assists in the match as Martinez again led the team defensively with 19 digs.
Life U led 7-4 early in set one after a block from Cornier on the edge. Cumberland responded with a 7-2 run to take the lead 11-9. In one of the longest streaks of the tournament, the Running Eagles rattled off seven unanswered to lead 16-11. Trailing 19-14 late in the set, Cumberland used a 6-1 run to tie the set at 20. On set point, Cumberland answered back with another 4-0 run to lead 25-24. Gonzalez answered with a kill as a pair of blocks from Life U would end the set ahead 27-25.
Neither team led by more than two in the second set. A pair of kills and an attack error again put Life U at set point ahead 24-22. Cumberland used a 4-1 run to earn themselves set point 26-25, before kills from Henson and Gonzalez put Life U within one, 27-26. Cumberland tied the set on an attack error but kills from Cornier and Gonzalez put the set away 29-27.
Life U led the entire third set as the Running Eagles finished perfect on the day with Henson providing the final kill 25-20.
The men’s volleyball team will return to action on Thursday, Feb. 11, when they travel to Cleveland, Ga. to face Truett McConnell University at 7 p.m.