DES MOINES, IOWA – Third-ranked Grand View University men's volleyball kicked off the 2025 season in style on Thursday evening, hosting Arizona Christian University on their home court. After shaking off some early rust, the Vikings found their rhythm and dominated the match, securing a decisive 3-0 sweep to start the year strong. Set scores were 25-21, 25-20, and 25-21.

Arizona Christian gained an early advantage in the match, claiming the first point. However, the Vikings quickly found their offensive groove, with Ryan Griffel delivering a kill to tie the score at 2-2. A series of Firestorm errors allowed Grand View to build momentum, prompting ACU to call a timeout in an attempt to stop the Vikings' growing lead. But the Vikings were undeterred, as Leonardo Annichini's kill and a service ace gave them the boost they needed. Grand View closed out the opening set with a 25-21 win, seizing control of the match.

The second set was all Grand View, as the Vikings surged to a quick 6-4 lead, highlighted by another powerful kill from Ryan Griffel off a set by Rafael Obrusnik. Arizona Christian called a timeout, hoping to disrupt the Vikings' momentum, but it was Andrea Leandro who kept the pressure on, smashing a kill to extend the lead to 17-13. Although Arizona Christian fought hard to mount a comeback, Leandro's dominant presence proved too much, and he delivered the final blow, securing the set point and a 25-20 victory to put Grand View up 2-0 in the match.

The final set of the season opener mirrored the first two in many ways, but Arizona Christian made things interesting in the closing points. The Firestorm committed an out-of-rotation error, allowing the Vikings to extend their lead to 23-19. Although a couple of unforced errors from Grand View closed the gap, Daniel Galili stepped up when it mattered most, delivering back-to-back kills to clinch the set and complete the sweep on the Vikings' home floor.

GAME NOTES

• Ryan Griffel was on fire, leading the Vikings with 15 kills and 18 total points, finishing the night with an impressive .346 hitting percentage.
• Daniel Galili powered through with 10 kills and 11 points, keeping a solid .333 hitting percentage to help secure the win.
• Leonardo Annichini wasn't far behind, contributing 9 kills and 11 points, with a strong .300 hitting percentage.
• André Lucas Alves Leandro was incredibly efficient, smashing 6 kills on 10 attempts for a stellar .600 hitting percentage.
• As a team, the Vikings were dominant, racking up 42 kills, 53 total points, and a .346 hitting percentage, while also serving up 7 aces to keep the pressure on Arizona Christian.
• The Vikings dominated offensively, posting 42 kills to Arizona Christian's 31.
• Grand View served up 7 aces, while Arizona Christian recorded 1.
• Malaki Christian recorded 4.0 blocks for the Vikings

UP NEXT
The Vikings will have the weekend off but will be back in action next Friday, February 7th, at the WHAC/HOA crossover tournament in Fort Wayne, Indiana. They'll take on Lawrence Tech at 4:30 PM CST to kick off their tournament play.