IRVINE, Calif. – Olivet Nazarene men's volleyball made history Monday night, earning its first-ever win over a nationally ranked opponent with a 3-1 victory over No. 8 Westcliff inside the Jordan Lawley Facility. Set scores were 25-23, 25-23, 14-25, and 25-18. 

Brody McAfee led the Tigers with 13 kills on 35 swings, while Jackson Harvey anchored the defense at the net with five blocks. Tomas Gonzalez paced the offense with a match-high 25 assists, and ONU held Westcliff to a .137 hitting percentage in the win. 

The opening set was tightly contested, with both teams trading points early. With the score knotted at 22-22, ONU regained the lead with a Harvey kill off a block error. The Tigers extended their advantage on a key defensive play, as Kahaku Marquez and Cade Ooms combined for a block to put ONU at set point. Westcliff held off one attempt, but McAfee delivered the final kill to close out the set, 25-23, giving the Tigers a 1-0 lead.

ONU carried its momentum into the second set, jumping out to an 8-5 advantage behind early defensive pressure. The Tigers extended their lead to 10-5 after capitalizing on Westcliff errors, but the Warriors responded with a run of their own to tie the set at 22-22. ONU remained steady down the stretch, regaining the lead with a kill from Marquez. A final service ace sealed the set at 25-23, giving the Tigers a 2-0 match lead.

Westcliff regrouped in the third, opening on a 7-4 run and controlling the tempo. The Tigers struggled offensively, hitting just .125 in the frame, while the Warriors hit a match-best .412. ONU couldn't recover from the early deficit, dropping the set 25-14 as Westcliff cut the match lead to 2-1. 

ONU responded in the fourth, reclaiming control with its best offensive set of the night. The Tigers hit .344 in the frame, using a balanced attack to keep Westcliff on its heels. McAfee delivered his final kill to extend ONU's lead to 23-17, followed by a Jaiton Kamaunu kill to put the Tigers at match point. After a brief stoppage, Ooms sealed the historic 25-18 win with a final kill, giving ONU its first-ever victory over a ranked opponent.

Looking Ahead

ONU continues its California road trip with a matchup against Vanguard University on Mar. 5th at 7 p.m. CST.

—ONU—

*Contact Anyssa Hampton, Sports Information Graduate Assistant, ahampton@olivet.edu