ANGOLA, Ind. – The Trine University men's volleyball team won its sixth straight match on Saturday afternoon with a 3-0 sweep of the Baldwin Wallace University Yellow Jackets. Trine (14-8, 5-1 MCVL) maintained its first place standing in the Midwest Collegiate Volleyball League with a .461 hitting performance. The Yellow Jackets, who were receiving votes in the AVCA Coaches' Poll this week, fall to 15-9 (3-2 MCVL).
 
Johnson-Kuhao Ho'okano-Pelekai led with 13 kills, eight digs, and an ace. Seth McDonald and Xander Ikusz each had four blocks defensively. Karl Both nailed 11 kills in 16 attempts for a .688 hitting mark.
 
Trine did not trail in the first set, Ho'okano-Pelekai started hot, notching his ace on the first serve of the day. He followed that up with eight kills in 11 attempts, all told Trine would score 18 of 25 points by swing. John Mikrut had four kills while brother Zach, and Both had three each. A 6-2 in the middle of the set gave Trine breathing room and helped secure the set.
 
Set two was a nail biter with 13 ties and three lead changes. Trine grabbed a 5-2 lead but quickly fell behind 10-9. Zach Mikrut, Ho'okano-Pelekai, and Both each punched a kill to regain a 15-13 advantage. BW tied things at 15 and the next ten points came in alternating fashion. John Mikrut broke the trend with an ace and Both put Trine in winning position with a kill.
 
The final set was all Thunder, Trine hit .522 and had no errors in the clincher. Like set two, a 5-2 lead quickly vanished; this time BW was only able to tie the game. A 10-4 run ensued, giving the Thunder a 15-9 lead. The final four points came by kill as Trine wrapped its third win of their year over a team receiving national attention.
 
Trine travels to Spalding (Ky.) and Wabash next weekend.