KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The University of Jamestown men's volleyball team opened conference play on Friday evening with a 3-0 road loss to Rockhurst University at Mason-Halpin Field House. The Hawks won by set scores of 25-10, 25-14, and 25-12.
The opening set saw Rockhurst jump out early, but Jamestown was able to find a few responses throughout the set. Lucas Soeldner recorded the Jimmies first kill of the night, and Joshua Crowley later added a kill to help keep Jamestown in the mix. The Jimmies also picked up points off Rockhurst errors, including back-to-back attack errors that trimmed the margin midway through the set. Late in the set, Amery Roberts, Brady Leppien-Christensen, and Crowley each contributed points as Jamestown closed out the set with 10 total.
Jamestown showed improvement in the second set, turning in its best offensive stretch of the match. The Jimmies finished the frame with six kills and just one attacking error on 19 attempts for a .263 hitting percentage, their strongest set offensively. Early kills from Chase Hawkinson and Ladarius Williams helped Jamestown settle in, while a block by Hawkinson and Ethan Carroll gave the Jimmies another point at the net. As the set continued, Hawkinson added two more kills, Carroll put away a kill, and Williams continued to provide a steady attacking presence.
In the third set, the Jimmies again battled early and were able to take the lead. Jamestown scored the first point of the set and later stayed within striking distance through the early stages. Ladarius Williams and Joshua Crowley each recorded kills, while Brady Leppien-Christensen added later points. Jamestown also capitalized on a pair of Rockhurst attack errors as it worked to keep the pressure on. Despite those efforts, Rockhurst used a late surge to close out the match.
Williams led the Jimmies with four kills and a .333 hitting percentage, finishing as Jamestown's most efficient attacker among players with multiple attempts. Crowley and Hawkinson followed with three kills each, while Leppien-Christensen added two. Soeldner, Carroll, and Roberts each chipped in one kill apiece.
Jamestown split the setting duties between Rowan Shaughnessy and Cristian Sotelo. Shaughnessy finished with nine assists, while Sotelo added six. The Jimmies totaled 15 assists on 15 kills.
Defensively, Treyton Kaul and Shaughnessy each posted three digs to lead the team, while Jackson Holmes recorded two. Jamestown also picked up four block assists on the night, with Hawkinson, Carroll, Cohen Johnson, and Shaughnessy all contributing at the net.
The Jimmies look to return to action tomorrow at 2 pm for a match up against Rockhurst University in Kansas City, Mo.
