REDDING, Calif. - The Red Hawks dropped a heartbreaker to the Pacific Union Pioneers tonight in four sets. 
 

?? Final Score ??

Men's Volleyball ????

?? Pacific Union 

3-1 pic.twitter.com/LcQymhFd8D
— Simpson Red Hawks (@SimpsonRedHawks) March 9, 2024
 

Simpson took an early five-point lead midway through the first set as they scored four unanswered points with kills by Travis Kelly and Flavio Mercado. 

The Red Hawks took control in the first set and never relinquished the lead as they grew its largest lead of the night to seven points after three straight Pioneer miscues to take the 22-15 commanding lead. 

A kill by Travis Kelly put the finishing touches on the 25-17 first-set victory. 

A service ace by Akira Davies to begin the second set gave Simpson the early lead and started a 4-1 SU advantage. 

But the Pioneers battled back to tie the game. 

Pacific Union and Simpson jostled back and forth in the second set that saw nine different occasions with the game tied. 

A late ace by Thomas Saunders tied the game at 20. However, a 5-2 Pioneers run to close out the second set tied the match 1-1. 

Simpson looked to reclaim the match lead as they faced an early 8-5 deficit. But a 9-2 SU run with kills by Davies and Jean-Paul James helped Simpson grab the 14-10 lead. 

But an 11-1 Pioneer run helped them grab a commanding 22-16 lead as they closed out the 25-20 set three victory to grab the 2-1 match lead. 

The Pioneers grabbed an early lead in set four but the Red Hawks scored three unanswered points capped off by a kill by David Raffaelli to tie the game at six. 

But the Pioneers never looked back as they retook and never relinquished the lead to take the 25-21 fourth-set victory to win the match. 

Simpson looks to bounce back as they hit the road to take on UC Merced this Sunday at 5 PM.