The National Volleyball Association is now bigger than ever before, moving into the upcoming 2022 season, bringing you: more games, larger events, new teams, a new league structure, and even greater volleyball action! The American and National Conferences have each split into two divisions during the off-season. You will now see a Coastal and Central division within each conference. In addition, each conference has inducted a new franchise, bringing the league to a total of 12 teams, which has opened the door to a full regular-season schedule. From April to July, fans will be able to watch 60 matches with teams grinding their way through the rankings to solidify a spot in the 2022 NVA Championships! Here is the release for this year’s NVA Regular Season Event Schedule without further ado.

2022 NVA Regular Season Schedule

Event 1: April 8th – 10th

Event 2: May 6th – 8th

Event 3: May 28th – 30th

Event 4: June 17th – 19th

Event 5: July 8th – 10th

NVA Championship: August 5th-7th

Each event will feature twelve matches over three days with four games a day. Each team competes in two matches per event weekend, totaling ten matches throughout the season. The teams will be fighting each game to bolster their overall record and rack up NVA Points to win their respective division. Winning your division will automatically advance you to the playoffs.

Some of the highlight matches include…

– Saturday 04/09 @ 12:00 PM PST: Dallas Tornadoes vs. Colorado Kraken, the Tornadoes grudge match against their previous head coach and his new team, the Colorado Kraken.

– Friday 05/06 @ 9:00 AM PST: Las Vegas Ramblers vs. Utah Stingers, both of last year’s top regular-season teams who have both made the final podium two years running, will face off in this newly-formed rivalry.

– Friday 05/06 @ 12:00 PM PST: OC Stunners vs. Texas Tyrants, a rematch of their five-set, quarterfinals thriller, which is regarded as the best match of the 2021 playoffs.

– Sunday 05/30 @ 9 AM PST: Chicago Untouchables vs. Southern Exposure, a rematch of a highly gritty quarterfinal matchup from last season that ended in a five-set Exposure win.

– Sunday 06/19 @ 6 PM PST: LA Blaze vs. Inland Empire Matadors, as they battle for dominance in this cross-town rivalry.

– Sunday 06/30 @ 9 AM PST: New Jersey Freedom vs. Seattle Sasquatch, the first matchup between the Northwest and Northeast Coast teams.

Next week, be sure to check back in to delve into the ranking system that includes divisional and cross-conference play. Also, stay tuned for more information on the league’s two new teams, the Colorado Kraken and the Seattle Sasquatch! Follow the NVA on Instagram and Facebook to get weekly media updates on league developments and player stories if you haven’t already. Fans can also jump back in and watch all of last year’s matches on YouTube and get a taste of what is to come!

Follow the link below to get a breakdown of the 2022 season and conference divisions!

https://www.nvausa.com/news/detail?id=158

-NVA Staff Writer

The NVA finished off 2021 with a bang by bringing their all-stars to the AVCA’s 40thAnniversary Convention in Columbus, Ohio! For three days, the league’s players and coaches hit the courts with some of the world’s greatest volleyball minds to help advance the sport of volleyball, educating the next generation of American coaches. The NVA had the privilege to work alongside inspirational icons such as Karch Kiraly and John Speraw as well as hosting the All-American Banquet recognizing elite players from Women’s Collegiate Volleyball.

Those who attended the All-American Banquet and the coinciding NCAA Div. 1 championship match, between the Nebraska Cornhuskers and the Wisconsin Badgers, witnessed some of the most extraordinary players in the history of NCAA. The game had historical precedence, with one player becoming the first-ever five-time AVCA First-Team All-American. Of course, it would be none other than the Division 1 player of the year, Wisconsin middle blocker Dana Rettke!

The NVA had the privilege of handing out the awards to the AVCA Players of the Year, and we are excited to share their names with you again! Readers can find the complete list of 1st, 2nd, and 3rd team selections from each division on the AVCA website. https://www.avca.org/awards/

AVCA PLAYERS OF THE YEAR

NAIA AVCA Player of the Year- Nada Meawad, Park (Missouri)

Two-Year College AVCA Player of the Year- Marian Ovalle, New Mexico Military Institute

NCCAA AVCA Player of the Year- Sydney Schwitters, University of Northwestern-St. Paul

NCAA Division III AVCA Player of the Year- Heidi Westra, Calvin University

NCAA Division II AVCA Player of the Year- Alexis Cardoza, Cal State San Bernardino

NCAA Division I AVCA Player of the Year- Dana Rettke, University of Wisconsin – Madison

For many of the NVA players present for the convention, the best moment of the event came from the Athletes Unlimited Draft, which has invited nine graduating collegiate stars to join their league. Athletes Unlimited is the only pro indoor women’s volleyball league in the U.S., which premiered last year on the CBS Sports Network! Two of the draftees, Div. 1 Player of the Year, Dana Rettke, and Nebraska’s Laura Stivrins, went head-to-head, middle on middle, in the 5-Set NCAA Championship thriller. This historic draft is the first of its kind in the U.S. to provide an immediate pipeline for the nation’s most valuable volleyball players to go straight from university to the major leagues!

https://auprosports.com/read/meet-the-9-draftees-from-the-inaugural-athletes-unlimited-volleyball-draft/

Inspired by AU Sports, the NVA is preparing to eventually establish their draft, looking to bring graduating student-athletes into the fold after the NCAA Men’s Final. With another successful year at the AVCA, the NVA has done well to show attending coaches just how disciplined, determined, and hungry our athletes are. We hope that the word will continue to spread from coaches to the next generation of college players that the dream of becoming a professional volleyball athlete is just on the other side of graduation! With this much talent already on display on the women’s side, the NVA and their teams are eager to see what homegrown products come from NCAA Men’s Volleyball this summer!

-NVA Staff Writer

In just under a week, the National Volleyball Association will be partnering once again with the American Volleyball Coaches Association for the 2021 AVCA Convention in Columbus, Ohio! Now, celebrating its 40th anniversary, the AVCA was formed back in 1981 by Terry Liskevych and Andy Banachowski as an advocacy group for coaches. Since their conception, the AVCA has significantly expanded, adding tons of new services and clinics, all with the same core dedication to serving volleyball coaches and the volleyball community.

From December 15th-18th, the convention halls will be jam-packed with seminars regarding coaching skills, skill development, career advancement, club management, and even sports psychology. Each educational session will be led by the country’s top NCAA Div 1, Olympic, and Club coaches, including some of the current greats with; Karch Kiraly (USA Women’s National Team), John Speraw (USA Men’s National Team), and Alan Knipe (Long Beach State), all leading their own sessions. On top of that, the event offers break-out sessions for coaches to network and reconnect with other coaches from around the nation.

The NVA is sending 16 athletes and coaches from around the league to take part in ten educational seminars as part of the on-court practice demonstrations. Utah Stingers Owner & NVA VP Russell Holmes will also present awards to the top NCAA athletes at this year’s All-American/Players of the Year Banquet. This will be the second year that the league has participated in this phenomenal event and has eagerly awaited its return since the last AVCA convention back in 2018.

There’s still time if you haven’t yet registered for the convention. You can also purchase passes on-site starting at 4 pm on Tuesday the 14th at 4 pm. However, if you cannot make it in person, you can still watch every seminar online with their Virtual Convention, including live Learning Labs created exclusively for virtual attendees, a virtual exhibit show, and Career Center. Below you’ll find links to find out more information about registering, as well as our seminar schedule for the week. If you see us there, give us a shout, we would love to talk and learn together as we all push to help foster the next generation of volleyball in the USA and grow the game!

Schedule and AVCA Links:

Thursday 12/16

–       11am – 12pm: Technical and Tactical Components that Lead to a Better Transition Game. (Dave Preston)

–       3pm – 4pm: Rethinking Feedback in a Practice Setting. (John Speraw)

–       4:15pm – 5:15pm: Controlled Variations of Live Play: How to Challenge your Starting Side to Prepare for Game Day. (Wright State Staff)

Friday 12/17

–       1:15pm – 2:15pm: Planning and Facilitating a Week of Practice Drills. (James Madison Staff)

–       2:30pm – 3:30pm: Bolstering your Attackers’ Toolkit. (Karch Kiraly)

–       3:45pm – 4:45pm: Training your Team to be Efficient Out of System. (Shannon Winzer)

Saturday 12/18

–       9am – 10am: Serve Receive with USAV Women’s National Team. (Tama Miyashiro)

–       9am – 10am: Adaptive Creativity – The importance of customizing drills to enhance & excite your players. (Eric Snyder)

–       10:15am – 11:15am: Coaching Using Story Telling – External Feedback in Action. (Jamie Morrison)

–       10:15am – 11:15am: Practice Pyramids: Growth Through the Climb. (Chad Willis)

https://avcaconvention.org/

https://avcaconvention.org/virtual-convention/

-NVA Staff Writer

With the 2022 NVA Season already in the works, here is a look at the rankings for the top five players for each statistical throughout the season. These rankings exclude players who competed in less than ten sets or had less than 100 attempts. Check them out to see which if your favorite players made the cut as one of the Top 5 All-Stars for each category.

Best Scorer (Points/Sets Played)

1. Brandon Rattray, Ramblers – 6.14 (270/44) 
2. Felix Chapman, Tornadoes – 6 (60/10)
3. Corey Chavers, Stunners – 4.96 (114/23)
4. Jake Langlois, Stingers – 4.42 (115/26)
5. Joe Norman, Team Freedom – 4.34 (126/29)

Best Server (Service Aces/Sets Played)

1. Brandon Rattray, Ramblers – 0.64 (28/44)
2. Ian Capp, Untouchables – 0.6 (15/25)
3. Jair Santiago-Sanchez, Stunners – 0.47 (15/32)
4. Carlos Serrano, Matadors – 0.38 (8/21)
5. Will Ragland and Jake Milnaziak, Untouchables – 0.38 (9/24)

Best Blocker (Blocks/Sets Played)

1. Tim Lourich, Exposure – 0.7 (30/43)
2. Alex Shmelev, Stingers – 0.68 (23/34)
3. Joe Norman, Freedom – 0.59 (17/29)
4. Matt Seifert, Freedom – 0.59 (24/41)
5. Paul Bilanzic, Untouchables – 0.58 (19/33)

Best Scorer (Total Points)

1. Brandon Rattray, Ramblers – 270 
2. Gianluca Grasso, Tyrants – 163
3. Ryan Mather, Ramblers – 152
4. Jorge Mencia, Stingers – 144
5. Jair Santiago-Sanchez, Stunners – 129

Best Server (Total Service Aces)

1. Brandon Rattray, Ramblers – 28
2. Ian Capp, Untouchables – 15
3. Jair Santiago-Sanchez, Stunners – 15 
4. Ryan Mather, Ramblers – 14
5. Nick West, Stunners – 13

Best Blocker (Total Blocks)

1. Tim Lourich, Exposure – 30
2. Matt Seifert, Freedom – 23
3. Alex Schmelev, Stingers – 23
4. Paul Bilanzic, Untouchables – 19
5. Nick West, Stunners – 19

Best Passer (Perfect Reception + Positive Reception/All Receptions)

1. Johnny Gomez, Exposure – 93% (204/219)
2. Julian Rivera, Tyrants – 92% (191/207)
3. Gianluca Grasso, Tyrants – 91% (161/176)
4. Josh Ayzenberg, Stunners – 91% (102/112)
5. Corey Chavers, Stunners – 91% (122/134)

Best Attacker (Kills/All Attack Attempts)

1. Brandon Rattray, Ramblers – 56% (228/410)
2. Corey Chavers, Stunners – 55% (98/179)
3. Kevin Lopez, Ramblers – 51% (59/115)
4. Paul Bilanzic, Untouchables – 51% (72/141)
5. Nick West, Stunners – 51% (56/110)

Best Defender (Total Digs)

1. Johnny Gomez, Exposure – 90
2. Ricardo Massanet, Blaze – 88
3. Ryan Manoogian, Ramblers – 87
4. Kyle Dagostino, Exposure – 81
5. Inovel Romero, Stingers – 79

• NVA Staff Writer 

Concluding their 2021 season in the quarter-finals of the NVA Championship event, the Matadors fought tooth and nail to try and keep their dreams alive of taking a podium finish. The team has been the grittiest in the league all season long, always putting up a fight when the odds were against them, giving even the best teams in the league a run for their money. Still, the Matadors struggled to stay consistent, having blowout performances only to stumble and fall before they could secure the win.

In their final match against the Ramblers, the Matadors entered the event missing some key pieces, with star outside hitter Mauro Isaac unable to make the first day of the event. Additionally, not even halfway through the first set of the match, the Matadors lost the glue that held them together as libero Jose Mulero was subbed off with an injury. Down 13-5, Mulero made a sprawling dig to save a roll shot from Ramblers Ryan Mather, landing on his knee hard. Sitting off the rest of the match, Mulero watched from afar and had this to say about the team.

“Obviously, we entered the finals with the significant loss of Mauro Isac. However, as a team with many ups and downs throughout the season, we weren’t able to all excel at the same time as a team when it mattered most. Without a doubt, to have a chance of beating the powerful Ramblers team, we had to compete and play at our absolute best” – Jose Mulero.

Without Mauro, the team was led by opposite Jacob Vander Beek with 13 kills and 2 blocks. While Alvaro Ascues finally got his chance to shine, getting down 12 kills himself. Then Jesus Serano had some great sets with middle blocker Gabriel Cruz while Mario Meza stepped up big, taking over for Jose. The Matadors squad came back and took a set after weathering the brutal storm of swings from Brandon Rattray and were close to taking the match to a 5th set.  Sadly, they weren’t able to pull off a miracle and were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs, tieing for 5th.

“To win this tournament or be in the final four, you have to play consistently from the first point of the match. My experience with the NVA going up against such impressive competition has been brutal…and I love it. I think that is the attractiveness of the league. You have to play hard every single game or go home!” – Jose Mulero.

Make sure to go and watch the Matadors final match of the 2021 season by going onto the NVA USA page of Youtube!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWV2uxAPw8k&t=2s 

Be sure to also follow the Matadors (@matadorsnvausa), the NVA (@nvausa), and Jose Mulero (@josemulero11) on Instagram to get updates on your favorite team as they get ready come back again next year for the 2022 season. It’s sure to be the best one yet! 

• NVA Staff Writer

Match Statistics

#17 Jacob Vander Beek – 15 Points (13 Kills, 2 Blocks)

#4 Alvaro Ascues – 12 Points (12 Kills) 

#9 Jorge Cabrera – 8 Points (8 Kills)

#18 Gabriel Cruz – 7 Points (5 Kills, 2 Blocks)

# 15 Martin Petris – 5 Points (4 Kills, 1 Block) 

The Ramblers finished with the best record in the NVA at 7-2. Despite their two losses, one of which was against the Dallas Tornadoes’ who were last place, this team is full of talent. The team is currently lead by Brandon Rattray, who has been the best transition player in the NVA, leading the league in kills since the beginning of the season. Now, at 143 kills averaging 6.5 a set, Brandon has almost a 40 point lead over the kill leader, Tyrant’s Gianluca Grasso. Ryan Manoogian and Ryan Mather have played a significant role in scoring points when Ramblers are out of the system by extending rallies in the back.

While the Ramblers rely on Rattray to score points, their setters have plenty of other hitters to feed. Having Kevin Lopez and Kyle Radecki on the pins and a deep middle roster with Antwain Aguillard, Sean Dennis, Mark Lane, and Josh Duarte, the Ramblers are favored to win the championship. This team also has a unique lineup that juggles three different setters in Michael Keegan, Tanner Maxwell, and Steven Duhoux, which has worked surprisingly well.

An example of the Ramblers’ potent offense was a match against Team Freedom, in which the Ramblers scored a total of 67 points compared to Team Freedom’s 42 points. 

After the Ramblers defeated the Stingers 3-2 in May, they established themselves as a front runner to win the 2021 NVA Championship. Yes, they lost the next two against the Stunners and Tornadoes. However, the Ramblers could still bounce back to defeat Team Freedom and the Matadors to finish the regular season. 

The Ramblers have also been injury-free all year, which is a plus because they don’t have a full bench like the Stunners or Stingers.

The Matadors had a disappointing season but managed to fill the last spot in the playoffs. All season the Matadors struggled to find a consistent lineup and never got into a rhythm on offense. They’re also one of the smaller team rosters in the league. Other NVA teams took advantage of them by matching their big guns with the undersized Matadors’ blockers.  

Much of the Matadors scoring came from Mauro Issac and Carlos Serrano on the outside, plus Jacob Vander Beek and Jorge Cabrera, who shared time at Opposite. 

The Matadors played good defense all year, but they struggled to score points in transition. Because they are not a good blocking team, they had to rely on their defense to create opportunities to score points. Three of the Matadors’ losses ended in 5-sets to Southern Exposure, Tyrants, and The Untouchables, getting as close as possible to having a winning record. But in all three matches Matadors’ hitting and service errors contributed to the losses. 

Although the Matadors only won two matches all season, they did have a big win against Team Freedom 3-0, which showed that they could catch any team off guard if they’re aren’t ready. 

Prediction: While the Matadors are lucky to be in the playoffs, their luck has run out by the very fact that they’re up against the Ramblers. The only saving grace for the Matadors is that this matchup is a repeat of the last match of the NVA season. Despite losing in three sets, the scores were close at 25-21, 25-21, and 25-22. Therefore, this is an opportunity for the Matadors to avenge that loss. To win this match, the Matadors will need to play almost perfect volleyball. They’ll also need to hope the Ramblers take them lightly and also surrender some free points from hitting errors. But the latter is not likely to happen, and the Ramblers should sweep the Matadors again. Ramblers – 3, Matadors – 0. 

To find more articles about the Matadors’ and the Ramblers’ regular season, check out their news section at the bottom of their team websites. 

https://matadors.nvausa.com/ 

https://ramblers.nvausa.com/ 

“Volley On With the NVA!”

NVA Staff Writer

Although the Ontario Matadors still have some time before they need to be ready for next season, the team is already preparing for significant line-up changes. After his last match of Event 3 against the Las Vegas Ramblers, Opposite Jacob Vander-Beek shared his decision to play for Team Durham team in the Volleyball England Super League. 

Team Durham, which the University of Durham funds, has recently won the last English Cup Tournament in 2018/19 and has taken second the previous two years of the English Super League. It’s Jacob’s plan, like many others, to use the experience to gain his masters degree and gain more international exposure in the hopes of finding a full-time paid contract to play overseas.  

“I’m most looking forward to meeting more good volleyball players around the world. Also, since my mom is from England, I’ll be seeing a lot of my family that I haven’t seen much growing up in California.” – Jacob Vander Beek. 

Jacob won’t be the only Matador alum to be headed to Durham this next year as Zackary Philyaw returns to Durham to pursue a Doctorate in Social Psychology. Zackary Philyaw was a team member when Team Durham won the English Cup, and Jacob will likely have the same impact on the league this year. As excited as Jacob is to be embarking on his new journey, he has enjoyed being part of the league’s growth this season. 

“I’ve liked the NVA more this season than last year as we’ve been able to play more than one event. It’s nice having more opportunity to correct your record after a bad weekend performance. To be able to play in a full season over a couple of months rather than a weekend is a great change.” – Jacob Vander Beek. 

Check out the link below to watch the replay of Jacob Vander Beek’s best performance so far of the 2021 season against the LA Blaze. There, fans will also find live coverage of the Matadors quarterfinals against the Vegas Ramblers on the first day of the championship weekend, July 9th – 10th. Make sure to follow Jacob (@the_beek), Zackary (@zphilyaw), the Ontario Matadors (@matadorsnvausa), and the NVA (@nvausa) on Instagram to stay connected with the team and catch highlight clips from Event 3.    

 (154) 2021 NVA CUP: LA BLAZE V. ONTARIO MATADORS – YouTube

• By NVA Staff Writer

Libero Mario Meza has been the guiding voice for the Ontario Matadors this season, especially when coaches Mark Mina and Osvaldo Vogel couldn’t make some matches. Mario has had an impressive track record with leading teams to victory as the head coach at Diamond Ranch high school and assistant coach at La Verne University. His biggest accomplishment was when Diamond Ranch went to win the 2018 Division V CIF southern section Championship. 

Diamond Ranch sweeps Garden Grove to win Division 5 volleyball title – San Gabriel Valley Tribune (sgvtribune.com) 

With a trained eye for finding solutions for the team’s problems, Mario has identified what his team will need as they prepare for their first match of the postseason. With LA Blaze and the Dallas Tornadoes out of the competition, the Matadors are ranked last in the conference. They will have much work to do if they hope to pull off and upset make it past the first round of playoffs. 

“The team goal moving forward should be to fine-tune our ability to have consistent energy, so we have more mitigating our errors. Our team has many ups and downs with emotional waves that we have ridden very well in the past, such as our 3-0 win over Team Freedom. Other times however it works against us as we start the match flat and are unable to mitigate our errors.” – Mario Meza 

Compared to other adult leagues, such as the North American Gay Volleyball Association, Mario has been very excited for the chance to train every week with his team. As Mario said, “we need to use this opportunity to continue developing our team chemistry leading up to the championships.” But aside from his excitement for his team’s chances, Mario has looked fondly at the NVA giving Mario and other LGBTQ+ players a home this season. 

“I like that our teammates have been super accepting and have made us feel comfortable by always staying lighthearted with us. That’s a big thing to have that sense of comradery across all the teams in the league. As NAGVA hasn’t been able to function under COVID, it has been great to see how the NVA has found a way through to operate once again.” – Mario Meza.

Mario is currently ranked 20th in the league for his 91% perfect passing reception on 51 attempts and has racked up 29 digs this season. Fans can catch Mario and Matadors make their push in the playoffs as they take on the first place Vegas Ramblers July 9th-11th. Make sure to give Mario (@marihoeee_), the Ontario Matadors (@matadorsnvausa), and the NVA (@nvausa) a follow-on Instagram to stay up with the team and catch highlight clips from Event 3.

Happy PRIDE Month, Everyone!

Tyrants Outkill the Matadors 64 to 50 to Win In 5 Sets

In the first set the Tyrants took the early lead 8-2 on kills by MB # 2 Pasha Zakhir, two blocks by #1 Anthony Robinson, bic by #9 Gianluca Grasso, line kill by #17 Tim Johnson and MB #15 Ryan Maune. Matadors scored their two points from #12 Issac Mauro. Tyrants kept their lead up until the media timeout at 16-12. But the Matadors launched a comeback that began with points from a dump by #1 Jesus Serrano and service ace by Issac. After Tyrants countered with a Grasso kill off the block, the Matadors started another run with a double block by #6 Diego Bustos and #2 Brett Massetti, kill by #17 Jacob Vander Been and service ace by J. Serrano; and then a Bustos one-handed block tied the set at 18-18. Tyrants took the lead again and kept it until 20-20. Matadors took their first lead of the set on a kill by Mauro after a Tyrants’ overpass 21-20. Then at 23-23 the Tyrants committed a service and hitting error that gave the Matadors the 25-23 win. 

The second set resulted in the same score but with the Tyrants coming out on top. Like the first set the Tyrants took the early lead 4-1 thanks to a Matadors’ net violations and kill and service ace by Grasso. The Matadors rallied back and took the lead 9-8 after a couple of short runs with a combination of Tyrants’ errors, service ace by Bustos, two kills, block and service ace by Issac. Tyrants rallied back and took the lead at 10-9 after a  Matador service error and Grasso kill. Before the media timeout the Tyrants increased their lead to 19-14 with a scoring run from a sharp angle kill by Johnson, two kills by #16 Daniel Jacobs and kill by MB Maune. The Matadors attempted a rally with kills by Vander Beek, Issac and J. Serrano. But the Tyrants held on to their lead and closed the set with a sharp angle kill by Johnson and service ace by Pasha. 

The Matadors dominated set number three with an early lead and never relinquished it. In the early going Matadors scored on two kills and block by Issac, kill by #18 Gabriel Cruz and block by #15 Matrin Petris. The Tyrants scored points from kills by Grasso and Maune but fell into a defensive rut and had trouble scoring points. This gave the Matadors more opportunities to score points and a 16-11 lead at the media timeout. The Matadors increased their lead to 23-13 from Tyrants’ errors and kills by #18 Gabriel Cruz, #9 Jorge Cabrera and blocks by Cruz and Petris. And then won the set after a Petris kill and Tyrants’ service error 25-16. 

Set number four ended in the same score 25-16 but different result with the Tyrants taking the early lead and never relinquishing it. A combination of Matadors’ errors, better Tyrants’ defense and kills gave them an 11-4 lead. Grasso and Johnson lit up the court with series of kills and blocks. Matadors traded points with the Tyrants for the rest of the set until 23-15. Then a Jacobs’ kill off the block and Grasso cross court kill won the set for the Tyrants. 

In set number five the Tyrants took the early lead 7-2 on kill and block by #22 Austen Lovett and two kills and block by Johnson. Tyrants kept their five-point lead until 12-7. At 13-8 the Matadors rallied back with better defense. Their scoring run began with a Tyrants’ service followed by a Petris block, Vander Been line kill and Tyrants’ hitting error that tied the score at 13-13. The Tyrants won the set from a Matador’s service error and double block by Lovett and Robinson 15-13. 

Gianluca Grasso led all players with 22 kills followed byTim Johnson with 16 kills. For the Matadors Mauro Issac had a team high 14 kills followed by Jacob Vander Beek with 9 kills. 

Tornadoes Defeat Matadors in 3 Sets and Keep Their Playoff Berth Alive

Matadors started the set well with kills by #17 Jacob Vander Been and #12 Mauro Issac and service ace by Issac for a 4-1 lead. Tornadoes scored their first clean point from #20 Felix Chapman. A kill by #13 MB Chike Opurum and Matadors’ hitting error tied the score at 4-4. Matadors built a 2 point lead on back-to-back kills by #15 MB Martin Petris and kill by #1 setter Jesus Serrano after a Tornadoes’ overpass to 9-7. Matadors kept their lead until 21-21. Tornadoes took their first lead of the set from a Chapman kill 22-21. Both teams side-out to 24-24. Tornadoes won the set from two consecutive Matadors’ hitting errors 26-24. 

In set number two the Matadors again took the early lead from a Vander Beek kill and increased it to 4-points thanks to Matadors’ service and hitting error and kill by #6 Diego Bustos to 7-3. Tornadoes scored from an Opurum kill and block and Matadors’ service error. Matadors kept their lead until 7-7. Tornadoes took the lead on the next point on a #19 setter Michael Quinones kill after a Matadors’ overpass. After the Matadors tied the score at 17-17 from a J. Serrano ace, Chapman caught fire and scored five of the next seven Tornadoes’ points and created a 4-point lead at 24-20. The Matadors scored only three more points from a Tornadoes’ hitting error and kill by #13 Carlos Serrano. Tornadoes won the match on a kill by #5 Sean Smith 25-21. 

Set number three started differently than the first two sets. It was the Tornadoes who scored the first point on an Opurum kill and the lead, which they never relinquished throughout the set. Tornadoes scored on one kill by #69 Steven Roschitz, 4 kills by Chapman and a Quinones’ dump. Matadors scored on points from Issac, Vander Beek and two blocks by #2 MB Brett Massetti. At 11-8 back-to-back kills by Chapman increased the lead to 13-8. Most of the points scored by the Matadors for the rest of the set came from Tornadoes’ error. The only clean points Matadors scored were from C. Serrano kill, Petris block and Massetti kill. Tornadoes’ setter Quinones turned to Chapman again who added 5 more kills. King and Smith added one kill each and the had a double block to make it 24-20. Tornadoes won the set and match on a Matadors’ hitting error 25-20. 

Felix Chapman led all hitters with 18 kills and the only player with double digit kills. Sean Smith had 5 kills, Aaron King 4 kills and Chike Opurum 3 kills. Matadors were led by Mauro Issac with 8 kills, Jacob Vander Beek with 6 kills and Carlos Serrano and Martin Petris with 3 kills each. Tornadoes also scored on 2 service aces and 6 blocks. And Matadors on 4 service aces and 6 blocks. 

Ramblers Sweep Matadors in Last Match of the 2021 NVA Regular Season

Ramblers scored the first two points in the first set from a Matador service error and kill by #20 Brandon Rattray 2-0. Matadors scored their first clean point on a kill by # 9 Jorge Cabrera 3-2. Both teams traded points but Southern Exposure scored most of their points from Ramblers’ service and hitting errors. Meanwhile the Ramblers scored on kills by #2 Sean Dennis, #15 Kevin Lopez, #14 Ryan Mather and service ace by #8 setter Michael Keegan for a 9-8 lead. After a Lopez kill that gave the Ramblers a 13-11 lead, the Ramblers relinquished the lead to the Matadors 14-13 with a net call and two hitting errors. But the Ramblers took the lead back 19-18 after a Matadors’ hitting error. #12 Mauro Issac tied the score on a cross court kill. Ramblers scored the next three points on kills by Lopez and Rattray and Matadors hitting error to 23-20. Ramblers committed a service error to 23-21. And then won the set on back-to-back kills by Rattray 25-21.

Set number two was a mirror image of set number one with the Ramblers again taking an early lead on kills by Rattray, Mather and Lopez for a 6-5 lead. Matadors scored on two Ramblers’ service errors and kills by Cabrera and Issac. After a Rattray kill at 9-9, Matadors took the lead on a kill by #13 Carlos Serrano 11-10 and then increased their lead to 15-12 after a kill by Cabrera and block by Issac and #2 MB Brett Massetti. After the media timeout at 16-14, a Dennis block cut the lead to 16-15. Matadors answered with a kill by Cabrera. Then the Ramblers tied the score 17-17 on kills by Mather and Rattray. Ramblers tied the set again at 19-19 on another Rattray kill and then took a three point lead on a block by Lopez, Matadors’ hitting error and Rattray kill 22-19. Matadors scored their last point on a kill by Issac to 24-21. And the Ramblers won the set on a kill by Dennis 25-21. 

In set number three the Matadors scored the first point from #6 Diego Bustos. Ramblers countered with their first point from a Rattray kill for a 1-1 score. Matadors hung on to a 1 point lead on a block by #17 Jacob Vander Beek, kills by Vanderbeek and Issac. At 6-6 Ramblers took the lead on a dump kill by setter Keegan 7-6. Ramblers increased their lead to 15-12 on consecutive kills by Lopez, Dennis and Rattray. Then added to their lead on another mini run with kills by Mather, Dennis and Rattray to 18-13. Matadors cut the lead to 23-21 with a run of points that started with a Vander Beek kill, two C. Serrano service aces and an Issac kill. Matadors surrendered the next point to the Ramblers on a service error. On the next point Matadors scored on a block by #18 Gabriel Cruz to 24-22. Ramblers won the set and match on the next point from a Mather kill 25-22. 

Brandon Rattray led all players with 18 kills, followed by Ryan Mather 10 kills and Kevin Lopez 9 kills. Ontario Matadors were led by Mauro Issac with 8 kills, Jorge Cabrera 6 kills, Carlos Serrano 5 kills and Jesus Serrano, Brett Massetti, Jacob Vander Beek and Gabriel Cruz with 2 kills each. Ramblers also scored on 2 service aces and 2 blocks. And Matadors on 4 service aces and 5 blocks.