SYLVANIA, Ohio – Lourdes men's volleyball upset two ranked teams in the Gray Wolf Invitational to start the season, finishing the tournament with a 3-1 record.

The Gray Wolves knocked off No. 12 Hope International 3-1 on Thursday, lost 0-3 to No. 15 William Penn on Friday night, upset No. 4 Georgetown College 3-0 on Saturday morning, and then swept Life University 3-0 on Saturday afternoon.
 
Game 1
(RV) Lourdes: 3
#12 Hope International: 1
 
Lourdes defeated Hope International in four sets, the only match in the tournament that wasn't a sweep. Lourdes won the first set 25 to 18, won the second set 25 to 21, dropped the third set 13 to 25, and came back to win the last set 25 to 17.

Senior setter Joey Bianco had a great first match of the year with 36 assists, seven blocks and seven digs. Sophomore outside hitter Felipe Tramontin also had a great match with a team-leading 15 kills.
 
Freshman Tsimafei Lesko was second on the team with 12 kills while also contributing two aces on the night. The Minsk, Belarus native talked afterwards about his excitement for his first ever match with Lourdes.

"It was my first game in a long time," Lesko said post-match. "My last game playing was over a year ago in Poland, so I was really excited. I'm really excited for this season, and I think we showed a lot of good things today."

Another important factor in the win was sophomore setter Daniel Nascimento. The Brazilian didn't play the first three sets but had an ace and a few clutch serves off the bench in the fourth set to help put the match away.

"Whenever we're off the court, there are some jokes and we're always cheering but it's always important to pay attention to the game," Nascimento said post-match. "I was keeping in mind what I could do if I got in. Then, I got the opportunity to jump in and do everything I had thought of in my mind."
 
Game 2
(RV) Lourdes: 0
#15 William Penn: 3
 
The second match didn't go as well as the first as William Penn came away with a 20 to 25, 18 to 25, 23 to 25 sweep over Lourdes. The Gray Wolves showed a lot of fight in each set but weren't able to break through late in the sets to win any.

William Penn's outside hitter Emilio Spanner was a real problem for the Gray Wolves, contributing 13 kills and nine digs. Spanner had an impressive tournament overall on William Penn's way to a 2-0 weekend.

Lourdes' match leaders included senior middle blocker Ben Palma with five blocks, junior libero Brayden Moyars with six digs, and sophomore outside hitter Felipe Tramontin with six kills.
 
Game 3
(RV) Lourdes: 3
#4 Georgetown College: 0
 
A sweep against the No. 4-ranked Tigers is about as good of a bounce back win as you can have. Lourdes won the match 25 to 22, 27 to 25, and 25 to 15.

Senior outside hitter Jaber Badarne had a team-high 21 kills in the three set match. The Israel native wasn't playing the first two matches and casually put together won of his best performances in his Lourdes career against Georgetown.

Badarne was only eight kills shy of his career-high that he got during a five-set battle with Bethel (Ind.) last season. If the Georgetown match was a five-setter he could have shattered his career-high.

"I think that game went amazing, not just individually, but as a team," Badarne said post-match. "I think we served really well and I still think we can play a lot better. Obviously, it's not easy to play three days in a row, especially when you get two games in one day. We're pushing through though and we're doing a great job."

Floor captain Joey Bianco had his best game of the tournament with 25 assists, nine digs and three aces, leading the team in all three categories.

"I thought we served and passed extremely well," coach Reitz said post-match. "If we can serve and pass well, we got a chance in most of our matches."
 
Game 4
(RV) Lourdes: 3
          Life : 0
 
The Gray Wolves rolled past the Running Eagles 25 to 16, 25 to 23, and 25 to 23 in the final game of the tournament to improve their overall record to 3-1. Life proved to be a challenge at times during the match, leading every set halfway through before the Gray Wolves would take control.

A major factor in these set comebacks was senior middle blocker Daniel De La Rosa. The Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. native served incredibly well in the match and provided multiple 3-0 runs while at the service line.

"I just focus on what I need to do and try not to overthink the situation," DeLaRosa said about his clutch serving post-match. "I just celebrate the goods, focus on what I need to do next and try to keep it calm. Our whole vibe is that as long as we keep sticking by each other's side and make the right plays, we can really get through anything."

Next Match
Lourdes' tough opening schedule will continue next Wednesday, Jan. 28 at 4pm when they take on No. 9-ranked Campbellsville on the road.