Sylvania, Ohio (January 25, 2019) – The second full season for the Webber International University men's volleyball team and the first year for the Warriors under their new head coach, Eric Praetorius, got underway on Friday, January 25, as the Warriors battled two strong teams at the Gray Wolf Classic in Sylvania, Ohio. In the morning session, Webber dropped a tight five-setter against Lawrence Tech (Mich.) 3-2 (25-16, 22-25, 25-21, 21-25, 17-15), and then in the afternoon, the Warriors fell to the host of the tournament, No. 3 Lourdes University, 3-1 (25-16, 25-15, 20-25, 25-10).

In the fifth and final set against Lawrence Tech, Webber got off to a great start with a 5-0 lead and also held leads of 8-2 and 10-4 before the Blue Devils began the close the gap.

After a 4-0 run by Lawrence Tech made it 10-8, the Warriors answered back with a kill by Justin Beecher and an assisted block by Kyle Robertson and Luke Taffer to make it 12-8. Then, after back-to-back service errors by each team, a 3-0 spurt for the Blue Devils made it only a one-point Webber advantage at 13-12, and then a kill by Taffer gave the Warriors match-point.

Webber earned match-point again after a kill by Liam Gilchrist made it 15-14, but unfortunately, the young Webber squad could not close it out as the Blue Devils capitalized on their opportunity with back-to-back kills and a service ace to end it.

Statistically, a few different Warriors had some eye-popping numbers as Robertson recorded a match-high 46 assists, Gilchrist had a match-high 19 kills with an attack percentage of .317 percent, and Taffer had five blocks. Additionally, Steven Bartlett finished with 13 digs and six assists followed by Christian Alvarez-Rivero with 12 digs.

Again the third-ranked team in the NAIA, Lourdes, Webber hit a whopping .417 percent as a team in the fourth set, which the Warriors won 25-20. In each of the other sets, however, Webber was held below 0.80 percent in hitting.

Gilchrist recorded 10 kills against the Gray Wolves, Tim Rouch Jr. recorded 16 assists, Robertson had 14 assists, and Bartlett had 11 digs.

"We played good, and we had some really high moments and a few low streaks when we needed to be more aggressive," spoke Coach Praetorius. "Our serving has gotten a lot better and our middles really owned the net."

Webber will return to the court in Sylvania, Ohio, one last time tomorrow on Saturday, January 26, at 10 a.m. against Robert Morris University (Ill.).
 

Webber Men's Volleyball 2019 Season Preview Q&A with Coach Eric Praetorius:

Q: Who are your key returners that you are most excited about?
A: "I am really excited about the three perimeter hitters that are starting the season. Liam Gilchrist was all-conference last year and Justin Beecher will be moving back to outside to start the season. Liam brings a lot of confidence to the team and Justin is a 6'4" power hitter. Zachary Ayala was the team's most consistent hitter last season as he returns to start on the right-side."
 
Q: Who are your newcomers that you are most looking forward to seeing?
A: "We have two brand new middles that are starting for the first time with WIU. Pedro Lepever is a 6'8" big man from Belgium who moves really well around the court and is a fierce blocker. Luke Taffer will also be a major player in the middle for the Warriors. His 6'5" frame is big and he plays a lot older than he is. He is well coached and very experienced for a freshman."
 
Q: What are your thoughts on your coaching staff so far?
A: "Nicayla Joyce has been working as my assistant coach and she has been really helpful. She communicates very well with the players."
 
Q: What are your expectations going into the year?
A: "I am really excited to get started with the season and to see where we are at. The team has had a lot of court time in the preseason and playing someone new will be fun. Playing some matches will give us a good idea of what we need to work on."