CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA – The Grand View men's volleyball team traveled to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to face Mount Mercy University in their fourth conference match of the season. After a tough battle in the opening set, the Vikings bounced back to take the next three, earning a hard-fought 3-1 road victory with set scores of 23-25, 25-17, 25-22, and 25-20.
Grand View battled through a tightly contested first set but fell just short, losing 23-25 to Mount Mercy. The Vikings started strong with an early lead, but Mount Mercy fought back with timely kills. Grand View found its rhythm with key contributions from
Ryan Griffel and
Leonardo Annichini, keeping the set neck and neck. A late timeout at 21-20 aimed to reset the Vikings, but errors in the final moments, including a crucial attack mistake, allowed Mount Mercy to edge ahead and take the set.
The Vikings bounced back in the second set, securing a commanding 25-17 win. Although they started slow, Grand View quickly gained momentum with strong blocks from
Malakai Christian and Griffel, disrupting Mount Mercy's offense. Annichini and
Daniel Galili fueled the attack with key kills, while Andre Leandro's service ace helped extend the lead. The defense held firm, forcing Mount Mercy into multiple errors. A late push, highlighted by a kill from Christian and a service ace from Galili, sealed the set and evened the match at one apiece.
In the third set, Grand View edged Mount Mercy 25-22. The Vikings jumped to an early lead with strong net defense and key kills from Galili and Griffel. Mount Mercy mounted a late surge, tying the set at 22-22. However, Griffel delivered a clutch kill off a set from
Rafael Obrusnik, halting Mount Mercy's momentum and putting Grand View back in front. A service error by MMU followed, and the Vikings capitalized, sealing the set and taking a 2-1 lead in the match.
Grand View clinched the victory in the fourth set with a 25-20 win, completing the match with a 3-1 scoreline. Despite Mount Mercy's persistent efforts, the Vikings maintained control with timely kills and strong defense. Griffel and Leandro were key performers, while
Malakai Christian's defense continued to apply pressure. In the final moments, a block by Christian and an attack error from Mount Mercy sealed the set and match for Grand View.
MATCH NOTES
- Daniel Galili paced the team with 14 kills, a solid .216 hitting percentage, and finished with 17.5 total points.
- Ryan Griffel chipped in with 12 kills, 5 blocks, and contributed 16.0 total points to the team effort.
- Leonardo Annichini added 10 kills, 12.5 points, and had a couple of digs.
- Andre Leandro tallied 6 kills, posted a .286 hitting percentage, and finished with 9.5 total points.
- Rafael Obrusnik set up the offense with 33 assists, added 2 kills, and finished with 4.0 total points.
UP NEXT
Grand View will have the weekend off before returning home to Des Moines for a matchup against William Penn University on February 25th at 7:00 p.m.
