ANGOLA, Ind. – For the first time in program history, the Trine University men's volleyball team are Midwest Collegiate Volleyball League Regular Season Champions. The Thunder (17-8, 8-1 MCVL) defeated the Calvin University Knights (19-4, 7-2 MCVL) 3-1 to clinch the conference crown.
 
John Mikrut led with 19 kills, MCVL Offensive Player of the Week Johnson-Kuhao Ho'okano-Pelekai added 12 kills and a pair of blocks. MCVL Defensive Player of the Week Karl Both served up a pair of aces and five kills. Trine took the match 25-22, 26-28, 25-23, 25-21.
 
Calvin captured momentum early in set one but three consecutive kills from Ty Freeman and a pair of points from Both would give Trine an 8-5 lead. Trine would not trail the rest of the way, Mikrut punched five of his kills during the set with no errors.
 
Trine notched 15 kills in set two with 14 coming by way of Xander Ikusz' assists, the sophomore tallied 43 helpers on the night. Calvin again grabbed early momentum, leading 8-4. It was quickly halted by three consecutive blocks. Ho'okano-Pelekai had a solo and an assist, Seth McDonald teamed up with him for one and with Mikrut for the other. Mikrut spiked eight kills in the set, three coming late in the set to help Trine to a 23-18 lead. The Knights would rally and take set two.
 
The Thunder took the first three points of set three and never looked back. Ho'okano-Pelekai and Mikrut each had four kills and Ho'okano-Pelekai ended the set with a swing to push Calvin to the brink.
 
The Knights responded by opening a 6-1 lead in the fourth set. Both and Ho'okano-Pelekai notched aces and Trine took advantage of 14 Knight errors to climb back into the set. Ho'okano-Pelekai put Trine ahead for good in set four with a kill and added two more down the stretch. Both and Mikrut backed him up with swings of their own to clinch the conference title.
 
Trine will be either the 1 or 2 seed in the MCVL Tournament starting next Friday. Trine will clinch the 1 seed and hosting duties in the conference tournament with a Wittenberg loss to either Spalding or Wabash this weekend. Should the Tigers win both games, Trine will be the 2 seed and travel to Springfield, Ohio for the conference tournament. Calvin will be the 3 seed while four teams, Baldwin Wallace, Wabash, Adrian, and Mount Union, remain alive for the fourth and final spot.