REDDING, Calif. - The men's volleyball squad hosted a round-robin tournament today with UC Santa Cruz and Pacific Union College in participation. 

The Red Hawks took on DIII opponent UC Santa Cruz in the first game of the day to kick off the three-game day. 

Kills by Francis Gates, Alexander Zimmerman, and Kobe Valdez to begin the game pulled Simpson within one early in the first set. 

The Banana Slugs took the 11-5 lead before two straight kills by Jacob Shelton and Gates that pulled Simpson within four. 

The Red Hawks pulled within two points late in the first set on a Banana Slugs miscue and kill by Davies to make it a 23-21 game. 

However, UC Santa Cruz closed out the first set 25-22 to take the 1-0 match lead. 

But the Red Hawks answered back in set two as they put together a late rally to tie the match score 1-1. 

Facing a 21-18 deficit, the Red Hawks went on a 5-1 run off a timeout to take the 23-22 lead with Nakasato notching two kills. 

With the score tied at 23, the Red Hawks took the second set on back-to-back kills by Davies and Zimmerman. 

But the Banana Slugs answered back as they took sets three and four, 25-16, to take the first game of the day. 

Davies posted a team-high 11 kills while Shelton and Nakasato picked up seven kills each. 

Game 2: 

Simpson looked to bounce back in the last game of the day as they took on Pacific Union College in a nonconference game. 

Simpson got on the board first from a kill by Akira Davies and an error by the Pioneers.

The Red Hawks erased the 16-13 deficit by scoring six unanswered points on kills by Davies and Nakasato and a block by Shelton and Nakasato.

The Red Hawks closed the 25-21 first-set victory on a kill by Kaleb Cui to take the 1-0 match lead.

Simpson kept it rolling in the second set as they jumped out to the 8-2 lead on kills by Francis Gates and Kobe Valdez, blocks by Gates and Cui, and an ace by Adonijah James Raffaelli.

They dominated the second set as they never relinquished the lead and took a 25-16 second set victory to take the commanding 2-0 match lead.

However, the Pioneers answered back as they took the third set 25-22 to force set four.

Pacific Union jumped out to an early 3-0 lead and held the 14-12 lead before the Red Hawks took the lead on three unanswered points.

With the score tied at 19-19, Davies and Gates slammed down two huge kills to give Simpson the two-point lead.

The Pioneers moved into match point territory, but the Red Hawks flipped the script and scored three straight points capped off by an ace by Valdez to seal the 26-24 set four victory to close the game.

Nakasato had a phenomenal game as he posted a team-high 12 kills and 25 assists to go along with two blocks and seven digs.

Cui followed close behind with nine kills and Gates notched eight kills with a .500 hitting percentage.

Simpson hits the road to SoCal as they take on Hope International on Tuesday at 1 pm.

 

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