FORT VALLEY, Ga. – The Wildcats enjoyed the home environment for the first time of the 2024 campaign. Fort Valley State used one of its highest offensive hitting efficiency in the young program's history and took down Truett McConnell University, 3-1, in men's volleyball.
The Wildcats (1-3) used their solid hitting of over .500 in each of the first two sets at the combined rate of .511 (25 kills, one error, 47 attacks) to rush past the Bears by scores of 25-14 and 25-12. The visitors came back and led most of the third set, before FVSU took a late 24-22, but retook the margin and outlasted for the 28-26 final. FVSU ran off seven of the first eight points and increased the difference to double digits (17-7) before it finished the match with a 25-13 final.
FVSU saw a trio of hitters reach double figures in kills for the afternoon. Chey Cooper led the way with 13 kills with one error in 24 swings for a .500 rate to go with five aces, six digs, four assists and a block. Oshane Farquharson was right behind with a dozen winners without an error in 22 attacks (.545), four aces, three digs and an assist. Jaxon Hicks rounded out the three with 10 kills, .400 percentage, three aces and a team-high 11 digs.
Jose Gallardo and Jaequon Henderson guided the efficient attack with 23 and 17 assists. The two setters also had four and two service aces. Diego Cardona dug 10 attacks of his own.
Isaiah Fedd saw his first action with six kills at .600 and Johnathan Matthews also recorded six kills Saferino Dour chipped in five kills.
As a team, FVSU posted 57 kills with nine errors in 123 attacks for a solid .390 match percentage. The Wildcats also served up 19 aces.
Alex Gordon led the Bears with 10 kills.
Truett McConnell opened the day with an early 4-3 opening set lead. After FVSU took the edge, a Gallardo ace and a Cooper kill helped the home team increase the difference to 20-13. The Wildcats kept the momentum with a 9-1 run to finish the set (25-14).
Leading 7-3 early in the set number two, Cooper pounded three-straight kills as part of a 7-0 home run to make it 14-3. Matthews finished the set (25-12) to give a 2-0 lead for the match.
Trailing 20-15 in the third set, Henderson fired an ace and assisted on two more FVSU kills to pull the team to within a point, 20-19. Moments later, three Fedd kills gave FVSU a 24-22 brief lead as Truett McConnel ran off six of the next seven tallies (28-26).
FVSU left no doubt, though, of the match outcome in the fourth set. After a 7-1 start, the Wildcats grew the lead to 14-5 to 17-7 and 23-9 before the 25-13 final.
FVSU will now be off until it hosts Life University on Sunday, Feb. 4, in a 2 p.m. matchup.
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