GOSHEN, Ind. - After losing in five sets in their first-ever men's volleyball match against Bethel, the Goshen Maple Leafs posted a season-best .342 hitting percentage as they beat the Pilots in three sets on Tuesday night.

Goshen had a three-point lead in the first set when the Pilots went on a 6-1 run, and the Leafs used a timeout. Initially, they were slow to rebound as the visitors increased their lead to five. But after Bethel led 16-11, GC finished the set on a 14-6 run.

The Leafs hit the ball much better in the second set, starting by scoring the first five points. They cruised to a 25-14 victory with a .455 hitting percentage in the set. The third set was closer, and Bethel called a timeout when Goshen led 15-13. They used their next one after a 5-1 GC run that made it 21-16. The Pilots scored the following three points to force Goshen to use a timeout, but the Maple Leafs rallied, won the set 25-21, and completed the sweep.

Ishmail Bangura had four aces, Hasan Hadzic had three, and Christian Rodriguez added one more. Hadzic had 16 kills and just two attack errors in 25 attempts for a .560 hitting percentage. Rodriguez had ten kills and seven digs. Bangura had seven kills, two block assists and three digs.

Goshen is on the outside looking in for a Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference tournament bid. Goshen is seventh in the conference, and the top six seeds make the tournament. The third and fourth seeds host quarterfinal play-in matches, with the semifinals and final match at the home of the conference champion.

Goshen is now 5-10 overall and 4-9 in the WHAC. The Leafs host Rio Grande on Saturday, March 11, at 3:00 pm.