DES MOINES, IOWA – Grand View Men's Volleyball delivered a dominant performance on Senior Night, sweeping Graceland in three straight sets (25-18, 25-12, 25-17) to secure their 14th conference win of the season. The Vikings used a balanced attack and efficient defense to overwhelm the Yellowjackets, allowing their depth to shine as a handful of seniors contributed in the performance.
The Vikings came out firing in the opening set, hitting an impressive .478 with 17 kills.
Ryan Griffel was a force early, tallying five kills to lead the offensive.
Isaiah Kalima-Izumi and
Michael Meacham each added four kills, keeping Graceland's defense on its heels. The Vikings controlled the pace throughout, closing out the set 25-18.
Grand View's defense stole the show in Set 2, holding Graceland to a negative hitting percentage (-.188) while forcing seven attack errors. The Vikings capitalized on the Yellowjackets' miscues and maintained a balanced offensive attack.
Nelson Becassis stepped up in the second set, tallying three kills and an ace, while
Rafael Obrusnik pressured Graceland with two aces throughout his six-serve run. The Vikings cruised to a 25-12 victory, dominating the set.
The final set was more of the same as Grand View stayed efficient, hitting .452 with 17 kills to seal the sweep. Graceland showed some fight, staying neck-and-neck and even grabbing the lead throughout the final show, but the Vikings responded with another strong push down the stretch. Becassis continued his dominance at the net with four kills while
André Leandro contributed three, but it was
Carlon Keith who led in the third with five kills to help close out the match in a 25-17 finish.
A special thank you to our seniors for their time, dedication, and commitment to Grand View Athletics:
Nelson Becassis,
Ryan Griffel,
Daniel Galili,
Kevin Davidson,
Michael Meacham,
Isaiah Kalima-Izumi,
Carlon Keith,
Leonardo Annichini, and student-manager Lexi Jemison.
GAME NOTES
- André Leandro was nearly flawless, hitting .750 with six kills on eight swings, adding two block assists and eight total points.
- Nelson Becassis delivered an all-around performance, tallying seven kills on nine attempts (.667), along with a service ace and a block.
- Michael Meacham added six kills while hitting .500 and contributed two block assists to strengthen the Vikings' defense.
- Setter Rafael Obrusnik dished out 32 assists, guiding the Vikings to a .414 hitting percentage as a team while also adding two aces.
- Daniel Galili and Ryan Griffel provided valuable contributions, combining for 10 kills and three blocks.
- Grand View kept Graceland off balance from the service line, recording six aces and forcing the Yellowjackets into difficult offensive positions.
- The Vikings controlled the net with eight team blocks and limited Graceland to a .085 hitting percentage, forcing 15 attack errors.
UP NEXT
Grand View will finish up their regular season on the road, starting with Park University on Tuesday, April 1st, at 7:00 PM in Parkville, Missouri.
