Eagles Continue to Grow With Hard-Fought Battles in Kentucky

By Mike DeVader, Reinhardt Director of Athletic Communications & Media

CRESTVIEW HILLS, Ky. – The Eagles completed the second day of the Thomas More Invitational on Saturday with a trio of matches, going 1-2 in competition after they dropped a heartbreaker in the final matchup of the afternoon against Midway (Ky.).

The morning for Reinhardt (2-7) started with a 3-1 victory over the Phoenix of Cumberland (Tenn.) (3-1; 25-20,23-25,25-19,25-23), a loss to Siena Heights (Mich.) (3-0; 19-25,14-25,18-25) and a five-set defeat to the other Eagles (3-2; 23-25,25-22,25-23,21-25,13-15).

"I want to make sure I am openly praising my team for how they fought this weekend," head coach CJ Shearer said. "It was long, with three matches in a day, two five-set matches, and a quick turnaround between days; but, they absolutely left everything they had on the floor. I am tremendously proud of them and look forward to continuing to work. This weekend should be a huge learning opportunity for us, as we were in so many situations this team hasn't been in before, and they showed a willingness to battle and fight.

"As close as the losses were, there's a few things I see that are both huge improvements and areas I need to get the team better at. Cumberland was a perfect example of what we could be: they fought, kept composure, executed a game plan and played what we envision RU men's volleyball looking like. The losses are never fun, but I'm going to work harder to make sure I'm getting these incredible young men to the potential I know they can reach. To God goes all the Glory."

Reinhardt vs. Cumberland (W, 3-1)

• Matthew Corrales (.304) collected 18 kills and 12 digs.
• Chase Cross – three aces – added 12 scores and 12 digs as well.
• Adrian Pape hit .400 with six kills in 10 attempts.
• Ricardo Mujica helped mold the offense with 33 assists.
• Defensively, the team notched 12 total blocks.

Reinhardt vs. Siena Heights (L, 3-0)

• The offense couldn't get going against the Saints, hitting just .098.
• Miscues played a crucial role in the Eagles falling behind – 21 in total.
• Matthew Corrales again led the way offensively with 13 kills.
• Reynaldo Medina was the lone double-digit digger with 12.
• Siena Heights hit .311 in the win with 36 kills.

Reinhardt vs. Midway (L, 3-2)

• It was a battle of momentum, as the hometown Eagles couldn't snag a third set after taking a 2-1 lead with back-to-back set winners.
• Matthew Corrales earned another double-double (20 kills and 11 digs) after an astounding 60 attempts.
• Chase Cross (.286) was right there with his aforementioned teammate with 19 tallies and 10 digs.
• Reynaldo Medina was out-front in defensive receptions with 13, on a squad that combined for 18 total blocks.
• Reinhardt combined for a .199 hitting percentage and Ricardo Mujica gathered 25 assists.

The team now invites you to the Brown Athletic Center for the first home opener in program history on Tuesday night at 7 p.m. when Reinhardt welcomes Life (Ga.) to town.

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