MARIETTA, Ga. (April 2, 2023) - After defeating Reinhardt University in the conference semifinal, the Webber International University men's volleyball team battled its cross-town rival, Warner University, in the championship match of the Appalachian Athletic Conference Tournament. The Warriors came back from down 1-0 to win its first conference tournament championship in program history, 3-1 (18-25, 25-19, 25-21, 25-19).

An evenly distributed attack fueled the Warriors (11-5 overall) past the Royals (16-7). Webber outhit its opposition as it ended the match with a hitting percentage of .262 compared to the .242 of Warner.

The Warriors fell behind after a big run by the Royals roughly halfway through the first set. Webber was unable to close the gap and fell behind 1-0 for the match. Tied at 13 in the second set, the Warriors then scored three-in-a-row which included kills from Peyten Young and Andrea Di Paola to earn them a 16-13 advantage. Leading 19-17, Webber went on a 6-2 run to close out the set and tie the match.

Webber developed a 13-9 lead in the third set before the Royals fought back to tie things up at 17 apiece. The Warriors regained the lead but only just, at 21-20, before a kill by Kevin McCarthy kick-started a 4-1 run that ended the seat and handed them a 2-1 set lead.

With momentum on their side, the Warriors took an early lead in the fourth and final set. After Webber developed a seven-point lead, the Royals tried to get themselves back into the game. It would be too little too late, however, as the Warriors sealed their victory and the AAC Tournament Championship.

Carson Barnes and Young both led the way offensively, tallying double-doubles in the process. Barnes ended with a team-high 13 kills and 10 digs while Young contributed with 30 assists, seven digs and added 10 kills as well. Di Paola ended with 12 kills while McCarthy and Gunter Perea Quevedo each had 10. Riley Chapman added another 20 assists and tallied seven digs as well. Lachlan Diamond was a force to be reckoned with defensively as he totaled eight blocks.

The Warriors will now await the release of the NAIA Men's Volleyball National Championship pooling. The tournament will begin on Tuesday, April 11th in Des Moines, Iowa.