PARKVILLE, MISSOURI – In the Heart of America Conference Tournament Quarterfinals, Grand View knocked off Park University on the road, avenging a recent loss to the Pirates and advancing to the semifinal round. After dropping the opening set, the Vikings rallied with three straight wins to close out the match. Set scores were 20–25, 25–22, 25–22, and 25–21.
Grand View opened the match with a solid showing at the net but couldn't overcome offensive inconsistencies in the first frame. The Vikings hit .219 with 13 kills but committed six attack errors and surrendered key points late.
Ryan Griffel led early with four kills, while the block registered three stuffs to keep Park from pulling away too early. Still, the Pirates capitalized on Grand View's service errors and a few defensive lapses to close the set on a run and take a 1–0 lead.
The Vikings bounced back in a big way in the second, showing poise and patience in key moments. Grand View overcame 10 attack errors thanks to aggressive serving and relentless net defense.
Daniel Galili provided a spark at the service line, delivering three aces in the frame to help disrupt Park's offensive rhythm. The block stepped up with five team stuffs, highlighted by the efforts of Andre Leandro and
Malakai Christian. Despite hitting just .029 in the set, the Vikings' grit and late-set execution helped them even the match at one apiece.
Grand View played its most complete volleyball in the third, hitting .276 and delivering in every phase. Griffel and Galili continued to power the offense, combining for the majority of the team's kills. Christian and Leandro provided stability in the middle with efficient swings and a strong blocking presence that held Park to just .138 hitting. Galili added two more aces during a momentum-swinging run, and the Vikings closed the set with confidence to take a 2–1 match lead.
The Vikings sealed the win with their sharpest offensive performance of the day, hitting .393 in the fourth set while committing just five errors. Griffel capped his dominant outing with five more kills, including the final point, finishing with a match-high 18 kills on .316 hitting. Galili continued to apply pressure from the service line with two more aces, bringing his total to nine, and added five kills in the set. Christian, Leandro, and
Thomas Weseloh all came through with key points to keep Park at bay. Despite a late push from the Pirates, Grand View held firm to secure a statement road win in a battle of top conference contenders.
GAME NOTES
- Daniel Galili was electric from the service line, finishing with 9 aces, while also adding 15 kills and 11 digs.
- Ryan Griffel led the offense with 18 kills on 38 attempts for a .316 hitting percentage, and added 6 block assists.
- Andre Leandro protected the net with 8 block assists and 1 solo block.
- Malakai Christian contributed 2 solo blocks and 2 block assists.
- Rafael Obrusnik ran the offense with 47 assists.
UP NEXT
The Vikings will return home to host the Heart of America Conference Semifinals on Wednesday, April 16 at 7:00 PM, taking on No. 8 seed Ottawa University.
