DES MOINES, IOWA – The Vikings hosted the University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy on Thursday evening for a conference matchup. After dropping the second set, Grand View rallied to claim a four-set victory, 25-15, 20-25, 29-27, 25-12. The Vikings improved to 9-6 overall and 8-5 in Heart of America Conference play. This win also marks Head Coach Raphael Lima Seabra's 50th Career Win as a Viking. 

The opening set saw Grand View establish control early. Cheikh Sou opened with a kill from Bernardo Luis Marostica, and Chris Davis added one to give the Vikings a 2-0 lead. Sou contributed to make it 3-2, and Andre Lucas Alves Leandro scored from Marostica to pull ahead 5-4.

Davis and Sou delivered kills to extend the lead to 10-7, and UHSP called timeout. Davis added another kill from Joshua Valencia, and Sou scored from Valencia to push Grand View's advantage to 11-8. Davis recorded a service ace to make it 13-9, and Jake Winters added a kill from Marostica to extend the lead to 14-10.

Leandro delivered kills from Marostica and Marcus Taylor to give the Vikings an 18-14 lead, and Jonathan Rzepa connected on one from Marostica to make it 20-15. Sou went on a dominant run with four consecutive kills from Marostica and Valencia to extend the lead to 24-15. Rzepa closed out the opening set with a kill from Marostica, securing a 25-15 victory.

The second set started with challenges for Grand View as UHSP jumped out to a 4-0 lead. Winters scored from Marostica to pull the Vikings within 6-2, and Sou added a kill to make it 7-3. Winters delivered one from Pietro Fadanelli to pull within 9-4, and Leandro scored from Marostica to make it 10-5.

Sou contributed to pull Grand View within 11-6, and Rzepa added a kill from Marostica to make it 12-7. Winters scored from Marostica to pull within 13-8, but UHSP extended their lead. Grand View called timeout trailing 15-8, and Sou delivered a kill from Marostica to make it 15-9.

Leandro and Fadanelli connected on kills to pull the Vikings within 18-15. UHSP called timeout, and Fadanelli added another kill from Taylor to make it 18-15. Fadanelli delivered back-to-back kills from Marostica to pull Grand View within 19-17, but UHSP finished strong to take the second set 25-20.

The third set saw UHSP dominate early, jumping out to a 5-0 lead. Grand View called timeout, and Fadanelli scored from Marostica to make it 5-1. Sou delivered back-to-back kills from Marostica to pull the Vikings within 7-3, and Valencia contributed as Leandro blocked consecutive attacks to make it 7-5.

Leandro and Sou combined for a block to pull Grand View within 8-6, but UHSP extended their lead to 13-6. The Vikings called timeout, and Winters recorded a service ace to spark a rally. Fadanelli scored from Guilherme Domdei Goedert, and Winters contributed to pull within 13-10.

Taylor delivered a kill from Domdei Goedert to make it 14-11, and Fadanelli added one to pull the Vikings within 16-12. Sou scored from Marostica to make it 19-13, and Valencia contributed as Grand View fought back to 20-16.

Leandro and Winters connected on kills to pull within 21-18, and Domdei Goedert orchestrated the offense as Taylor scored to tie the set at 21-21. UHSP called timeout, and Taylor added another kill from Leandro to make it 23-22. Leandro and Taylor combined for a block to tie the set at 23-23.

The set went into extra points as Leandro scored from Domdei Goedert to tie it at 24-24. Taylor delivered a kill from Domdei Goedert to pull ahead 26-25, and Fadanelli and Rzepa combined for a block to make it 26-26. Sou connected on a kill from Valencia to tie the set at 27-27, and Winters added one from Marostica to give Grand View set point at 28-27. Rzepa closed out the third set with a kill, securing a thrilling 29-27 victory.

The fourth set saw the Vikings look to close out the match. Fadanelli and Winters contributed early kills to tie the set at 2-2. Rzepa and Leandro delivered kills from Marostica to tie it at 4-4, and Leandro blocked consecutive attacks to give Grand View a 6-5 lead.

Winters contributed to make it 8-6, and Taylor scored from Domdei Goedert to extend the lead to 9-6. UHSP called timeout, and Fadanelli added a kill from Domdei Goedert to push the advantage to 10-6. Taylor delivered another kill to make it 11-7, and Fadanelli scored from Domdei Goedert to extend the lead to 12-8.

Marostica orchestrated the offense as Winters added a kill, and Grand View pushed their lead to 15-8. Sou delivered a kill from Marostica to make it 16-9, and Fadanelli recorded a service ace to extend the advantage to 17-9. UHSP called timeout, and Rzepa connected on a kill from Marostica to make it 18-11.

Valencia contributed as Leandro blocked consecutive attacks to push Grand View's lead to 21-11. Sou scored from Marostica to make it 22-12, and Taylor delivered a kill from Domdei Goedert to extend the advantage to 23-12. Domdei Goedert recorded a service ace to give the Vikings match point at 24-12, and Domdei Goedert helped set up the final point as Grand View closed out the fourth set 25-12, securing the comeback victory.

GAME NOTES

• Cheikh Sou (19 kills, .256 hitting %, 6 blocks)
• Bernardo Luis Marostica (39 assists, 9 digs)
• Andre Lucas Alves Leandro (10 kills, .304 hitting %, 4 digs, 4 blocks, 1 ace)
• Pietro Fadanelli (10 kills, .217 hitting %, 5 digs, 1 block, 2 aces)