MERCED, Calif. – The University of California, Merced men's volleyball team earned a 3-1 (25-15, 25-23, 16-25, 25-22) home win over #7 Benedictine Mesa on Friday night in the California Pacific Conference opener, beating the Redhawks for the first time in program history and snapping BenU's 34-match Cal Pac winning streak dating back to 2021.
The Bobcats (3-10, 1-0) win was their fifth nationally-ranked win in program history and their first since 2019. It was also the Bobcats first ever Top 10 home victory. BenU had never lost a Cal Pac game since it became an official Cal Pac sponsored sport.
Jared Guglielmana led the Bobcats with ten kills hitting .320, his third consecutive match in double figures. He also had six digs, three blocks, two solo, and a service ace.
Jared Schnake turned in a career-performance with career-high's of 17 digs, eight kills, and four service aces. He also combined with Daniel Del Grande for a block for match point.
Ryan Kilgore added seven kills and two blocks, while Del Grande finished with a career-high five kills on a .500 hitting percentage. Del Grande added one more block aside from his block for match point.
Nathan Campbell and Toby Miller had 16 and 15 assists, respectively. Campbell also had three service aces and two kills.
Other notables include four kills on six swings without an error for Max Niederberger and two service aces from Sebas Moreno.
The two teams traded sideouts to start the match and there were nine ties and four lead changes within the first 20 rallies, resulting in a 10-10 tie. The Bobcats then scored three points in a row, highlighted by a Campbell kill and service ace to go up 13-10. Soon after up 16-13, a Guglielmana kill sparked a set-ending 9-2 run to go up 1-0 in the match. The Bobcats went on two different 4-0 runs in the 9-2 surge. Guglielmana had two kills and a block in the run overall and Moreno scored set point with a service ace. The Bobcats set win was their first over BenU in the last five meetings.
BenU led 8-4 in the second set before the Bobcats answered with seven straight points to take an 11-8 lead. Schanke was the Bobcats server in the run and he had two aces in the stretch, including an ace at the peak of the run. Head coach Ai Prachumsri's team led 14-10 shortly after and again by four points at 17-13 after another Campbell ace. Then leading 20-18, Guglielmana smacked a kill and Schnake tallied back-to-back aces to make it 23-18. BenU came within a point at 24-23 before a Kilgore kill put the Bobcats up 2-0 in the match.
Similar to the first set, the third frame saw ten ties and three lead changes early on and it was tied 10-10 after 20 rallies. BenU took the first two-point lead of the set only to be answered by the Bobcats. However, the Redhawks jumped ahead after a Bobcats service error and that helped the Redhawks get going on a 9-1 run in part due to four service aces from Dapre Rogers. The Bobcats didn't get any closer than seven points the rest of the period and dropped the third set 25-16.
UC Merced started the fourth set with back-to-back kills from Guglielmana and Kilgore. The Bobcats led by four points on a couple of occasions including as early as the 5-1 mark and then again at 14-10. The Redhawks didn't go away easily, reeling off seven straight points to grab a 17-14 advantage. After two sideouts, Dylan Jong went on a 4-0 service run, including delivering an ace that put the Bobcats on top 20-18. UC Merced led the rest of the way and Del Grande and Schnake combined for the block on match point.
UC Merced finished the match with a .245 hitting percentage, a season-high eleven service aces, and six blocks. The Bobcats eleven aces marked the most in a match since February 11, 2023. It is also tied for the fourth highest aces output in the last five seasons.
UC Merced's win over BenU was their first in 23 all-time meetings.
Up next, the Bobcats will host Park University Gilbert on Saturday, February 24 at 6:00pm inside the Joseph Edward Gallo Gymnasium.
