ELGIN, Ill. – The Goshen men's volleyball team improved to 8-3 after sweeping two opponents in the Judson University Tournament on Friday. They defeated Roosevelt 25-16, 25-14, and 25-6 before taking down Olivet Nazarene, 25-19, 25-20, 25-12.
 
The Maple Leafs took care of Roosevelt in their first match. The Leafs set a program record for the fewest points allowed in a set when they gave up just six in the third set (not counting fifth sets). The previous record was when Goshen allowed Cornerstone to score just seven points on January 13, 2021. The 36 total points that Goshen allowed today is the second-fewest in program history, only behind 35 in that exact match against Cornerstone.
 
The match also got into the record books with Goshen's .462 hitting percentage. That is the third-highest hitting percentage Goshen has ever recorded in a match.
 
Michael Wahl had 23 assists during the match. He surpassed 2,500 in his career, including his time at Lees-McRae College. Lucas Sauder notched ten kills, no attack errors, and a .714 hitting percentage. Alexander Rabadzhiev added seven kills, no attack errors, and a .875 hitting percentage. Andy Bennett had nine kills and two blocks. The team tied a season-high with six aces. Brayton Yoder and Wahl each had two.
 
Goshen had a .706 hitting percentage in the third set, and Roosevelt's was -.278.
 
In the second match, Goshen faced Olivet Nazarene – hours after the Tigers had secured their first win in program history. ONU defeated Maranatha Baptist during their first match of the Judson University Tournament in three sets. This time, Goshen would be beating Olivet Nazarene in three sets. The two teams played just 23 days ago in the ONU Quad, and Goshen won that match 3-1.
 
There were 14 ties and six lead changes in the first set. When Goshen led 10-8, Olivet Nazarene rattled off four points in a row. Then Goshen had five straight with Rabadzhiev serving. The Tigers rallied again with another four straight. However, Goshen scored nine of the last 12 and won the set 25-19.
 
The second set was pretty close early on as well. But Goshen turned a 9-11 deficit into a 14-11 lead and never looked back. They won the second set 25-20. GC started the third set with a 4-0 lead and had the lead wire to wire – winning 25-12. Goshen's hitting percentage in the third set was .520 – much higher than Olivet Nazarene's .037.
 
Goshen had eight aces during the match – four from Rabadzhiev. Sauder had 15 kills, and Rabadzhiev had 13. Wahl tallied 29 assists, and Yoder had 12 digs.
 
"I liked our consistency today," head coach Lauren Ford shared after the two wins. "We're working on maintaining a high level of play no matter the circumstances." She lauded the team's serve and pass – which kept them in both matches. She emphasized that it would be essential to carry that over to the games tomorrow, as well as the consistency.
 
Goshen takes on the host, Judson, tomorrow, February 12, at 1:00 pm EST. Then at 3:30 pm EST, the Maple Leafs will play Lincoln College to conclude their time in the Judson University Tournament. The next home game is Wednesday, February 16, at 7:00 pm against Aquinas.