Alliance, OH- For the first time since the 2023 season, Mount Union has won the MCVL regular season title. Today, they took down rivals Baldwin Wallace 3-2 on the road to ensure a solo title.
The last time the Purple Raiders won the conference, they went 7-1 with their loss coming against #3 Wittenberg. Before the season began, the Purple Raiders were slated to finish third in the conference behind the Tigers and the Yellow Jackets.
In the regular season finale, Mount Union got out to an early 7-0 lead in set 1. BW fought back as much as they could, getting as close as 2 points. Still, it was UMU taking home the opening frame 25-19. The Purple Raiders kept cruising in the second set, establishing a cushion from the jump. In the end, Mount Union left set 2 with a 25-20 victory.
Baldwin Wallace started their comeback in the third frame. With a 20-16 lead in the third, the game looked destined to head to a fourth set. However, a 7-1 run from the Purple Raiders saw them lead 23-21. With their backs against the wall, the Yellow Jackets rallied off 4 points in a row to win the third set 25-23. BW turned around after the third to control the fourth set, winning 25-20. Unlike the third set, Baldwin Wallace controlled the tempo.
Heading into the final set, momentum was with the Yellow Jackets. Still, Mount Union got to work and battled. A 3-0 run from the Purple Raiders set UMU up to succeed. In the middle of the fifth, a 6-0 run put the dagger in BW’s valiant comeback. Jacob Nussdorfer’s 10th and final kill sealed the 15-7 win in set 5.
Looking at the stat sheet, it was the senior duo of Jack McClure and Will Heeney who led the charge. McClure posted 19 kills while Heeney recorded 41 assists. As for digs, it was a balanced effort. Peyton Koszelak had 10 digs while Aaron Armour and Beckham Heller had 9.
For the Yellow Jackets, Daniel Latham led the way with a game-high 22 kills. Evan Herbst ran the BW offense with a total of 38 assists. In the back line, it was Daniel Abercrombie who ran the show with 13 digs.
The stage is now set for the MCVL Tournament. Mount Union will host as the #1 seed. Wittenberg will be the #2 seed with Baldwin Wallace sitting as the #3 seed. Finally, Trine makes the tournament as the 4th and final seed. On Friday, April 11, the Purple Raiders will play the Thunder while the Yellow Jackets look for redemption against the Tigers. The championship game will be played the following afternoon. While the times are not confirmed, the games are rumored to be played at 4PM and 7PM on Friday and 4PM on Saturday.
Picture Credit: Payton Berkley (PB30photos on Instagram)
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