CINCINNATI – Karl Both stuffed nine Mount St. Joseph attack attempts and punched 11 kills to lead the Trine University men's volleyball team to a gentlemen's sweep of the Lions. MSJ (3-4, 0-1 MCVL) took the first set and Trine (8-7, 1-0 MCVL) took the next three. The Thunder have won five of their last seven.
 
Johnson-Kuhao Ho'okano-Pelekai and Ty Freeman each added 10 kills and John Mikrut added four blocks. Trine blocked 12 total attacks from the Lions. Trine won the match 21-25, 25-20, 25-20, 25-21.
 
MSJ took control early in set one, leading 7-3 and 13-7 before the Thunder could mount a small rally. A trio of kills from Both, Ho'okano-Pelekai, and Mikrut along with a pair of denials from Both were not enough to rally and the Lions took set one.
 
Trine's best offensive set came in set two, punching 15 kills and hitting .237. Ty Freeman nailed six of his kills in the second set to help Trine lead wire-to-wire. Both added three kills and a block. Trine led 20-13 when MSJ threatened the lead with a 5-0 but Trine slammed the door with four kills to take the set.
 
Both stuffed three Lion attacks in set three and Trine never trailed in the set. The MCVL Offensive Player of the Week added three kills. Trine built a 17-10 lead before cruising to the win.
 
Another early lead gave Trine a 6-1 advantage that helped fend off an 5-1 run by the Lions. Both stuffed two more attempts in the final set, Trine scored the final five points by swing and took the win in four sets.
 
Trine heads north to Springfield, Ohio for tomorrow night's 7 p.m. contest at Wittenberg University.