ANGOLA, Ind. – The Trine University Men's Volleyball team took home a 3-2 victory over Bethel (IN) tonight inside Hershey Hall. The Thunder extended their winning streak to six and are now 6-4, while Bethel falls to 3-2. Kevin Boncaro went over 1,000 career kills on the night, he registered 29, including 12 in the second set.
 
Boncaro led Trine with his 29 kills and added 15 digs. Ryan McDonald dished out 47 assists and Johnson-Kuhao Ho'okano-Pelekai notched three aces in the win.
 
Set one featured seven ties as the teams swapped the first 14 points, Trine broke the stalemate with three consecutive points as part of a 6-1 run. A Pilot attack error gave Trine a 13-8 lead. The Pilots were able to halt the Thunder run as the teams again alternated points. Boncaro sent home a kill and Ho'okano-Pelekai recorded back to back aces to put the set on ice at 20-12.
 
Bethel led early in set two but four kills from Boncaro had the Thunder within two at 11-9. Trine battled to tie the game, coming within one eight times before breaking through on a Boncaro kill to knot the score at 22. The set then turned into a marathon with each team fending off set point attempts. Bethel had two chances, leading 24-23 and 25-24 but Boncaro would erase those leads, pounding out two kills to keep Trine alive. The Thunder offense again turned to Boncaro leading 30-29, McDonald set him up to the right side of the net and he sent it past the Pilot's defense to take set two.
 
Trine erased a 10-7 lead in set three behind two kills from Ho'okano-Pelekai to take a 12-11 advantage. Bethel took an 18-14 lead and unlike the second set, did not allow the Thunder to close the gap. Carter Steffgen kept the Thunder close with six kills in the set.
 
The Pilots took a commanding 10-4 lead in set four and never allowed the hosts to get within five points to force the decisive fifth set.
 
Boncaro pounded out four kills and Trine used five Pilot service errors to claim the fifth set. Steffgen sent home a kill to take a 10-8 lead but Bethel would not go quietly, clawing back to an 11-10 lead. Boncaro tied it up at 12 and the defense forced two attacking errors before a Pilot service error gave Trine the win.
 
Trine heads to Grove City, Pa. this weekend for the Grove City Tournament. The Thunder take on Eastern on Friday before a double header against Carlow (PA) and Grove City on Saturday.