Bristol, Tenn.- The King University men's volleyball team returned to the Student Center Complex on Thursday evening but was unable to overcome a steady Catawba attack, falling 3–0 in a tightly contested match. Despite several late-set pushes and strong individual performances, the Tornado (1–3) dropped the contest to the visiting Catawba Indians (3–2) by scores of 28–26, 25–21, and 25–22 in front of 109 fans.
Catawba hit .176 as a team and used timely serving and blocking to hold off multiple King rallies, while the Tornado finished with a .098 hitting percentage on the night.
Set One:
The opening frame set the tone for a competitive evening. King hit an efficient .276 in the set, led by early kills from
Carson Pliapol and
Dalton Claiborne. The Tornado held a late 24–23 advantage, but Catawba responded with clutch swings from Justin Arrowood and Anders Christianson. After six ties and a back-and-forth finish, the Indians edged out a 28–26 win to take a 1–0 match lead.
Set Two:
King struggled to find offensive rhythm in the second set, committing 10 attack errors and hitting .000 as a team. Catawba capitalized with steady side-out play and a balanced attack, highlighted by Arrowood's continued production. Despite strong defensive work from libero
Javier Saldivar, who recorded eight digs in the frame, the Tornado couldn't close the gap and fell 25–21.
Set Three:
The Tornado showed resilience in the third, battling through five lead changes and tying the score 14 times. Pliapol and Claiborne sparked the offense, while freshman
Kellen Woolm added an efficient 2-kill performance off the bench. However, Catawba's blocking presence — totaling 15 block assists on the night — slowed King's comeback attempt. The Indians sealed the match with a 25–22 victory.
Statistical Leaders – King University
Offense
- Carson Pliapol: 11 kills, .250 hitting, 1 block assist, 11.5 points
- Dalton Claiborne: 8 kills, .583 hitting, 1 dig, 8.0 points
- Colton Bueter: 4 kills, 1 ace, 2 block assists, 6.0 points
- Alessandro Fermani: 4 kills, 7 digs, 4.0 points
Setting
- Joao Pedro Ribeiro: 24 assists, .500 hitting, 3 digs, 2 service errors
Defense & Blocking
- Javier Saldivar: 8 digs
- Team Total: 2 solo blocks, 6 block assists
- Team Digs: 26
King finished the match with 31 kills on 92 swings, while Catawba posted 35 kills and out-blocked the Tornado 15–8.
Up Next
The Tornado continue their homestand on
Monday, February 3, hosting
Tusculum University at
7:00 p.m. inside the Student Center Complex as they look to bounce back and regain momentum.
