Eagles Split at Life Pod, Sweep Warner Before Five-Set Battle With St. Thomas

MARIETTA, Ga. – Reinhardt University men's volleyball earned a quality split in a neutral-site doubleheader at the Life Pod, sweeping Warner (Fla.) 3-1 on Friday before dropping a tight 3-2 decision to St. Thomas (Fla.) on Saturday in Upper Gym action.

The Eagles opened the weekend with an efficient 25-17, 23-25, 25-18, 25-13 victory over Warner, hitting .385 as a team and controlling the final two sets. One day later, Reinhardt pushed St. Thomas to the limit in a back-and-forth five-set match, ultimately falling 30-28, 22-25, 25-27, 25-21, 15-10 despite out-killing the Bobcats 66–62 and finishing with an 8–4 edge in service aces.

Against Warner, Reinhardt's attack was balanced and clinical. The Eagles totaled 51 kills with just 14 errors on 96 swings, while holding Warner to a .104 hitting percentage. After closing the first set 25-17 on a kill from Gabriel Gutierrez, Reinhardt absorbed a late Warner push in the second – capped by a Hayden Lichty ace – that evened the match 1-1. The response was decisive: the Eagles took control at the net and in transition, finishing the third 25-18 on a Santiago Romero Deaquiz kill and then dominating the fourth 25-13, with opposite hitter Jakub Aniolczyk sealing the match on a late kill.

Aniolczyk led the Eagles in the opener with 17 kills on 26 attempts, hitting .500 while adding seven digs and three block assists for 19.5 points. Gutierrez joined him in double figures with 11 kills at a .333 clip and added a service ace, while the Eagles' front line combined for four solo blocks and 16 block assists to finish with 20 total blocks. Reinhardt also out-dug Warner 32–25, turning extended rallies into transition kills to steadily pull away in the third and fourth sets.

Saturday's matchup with St. Thomas featured long rallies and momentum swings throughout. The opening set set the tone, stretching past the normal 25-point threshold as both teams traded sideouts and set points. Reinhardt created multiple chances to close but a late attack error allowed St. Thomas to edge the Eagles 30-28. Reinhardt answered in the second, tightening serve-receive and siding out consistently before outside hitter Quintin Fongbemi finished the frame with a kill for a 25-22 win that leveled the match.

The Eagles appeared to seize control in the third set, again winning crucial points in the late stages. With the score tight deep into the frame, Gutierrez terminated on the outside to close a 27-25 Reinhardt victory and give the Eagles a 2-1 lead in sets. St. Thomas responded by leaning on standout attacker Kaelen Ingram in the fourth, using a series of Ingram kills and untimely Reinhardt errors to claim a 25-21 win and force a deciding fifth. In the race to 15, St. Thomas built an early cushion and never relinquished it, closing the match 15-10 when Gabriel Negrao forced a final attack error.

Even in defeat, Reinhardt's offense was productive and aggressive. The Eagles posted 66 kills on 139 attempts for a .273 hitting percentage, added 61 assists and eight aces, and matched St. Thomas at the net with 12 total team blocks (three solo, 18 assists). Gutierrez again paced the attack with 20 kills on 37 swings, hitting .378 with four digs and a match-high 22 points. Aniolczyk contributed nine kills and three block assists, while Reinhardt's block forced St. Thomas into 23 attack errors and kept the Eagles in each set.

St. Thomas was led by Ingram's 25 kills, but Reinhardt's production across two days – 117 total kills at a strong attacking percentage and consistent blocking presence – highlighted a competitive weekend at the Life Pod. The Eagles now turn their attention back to Appalachian Athletic Conference play, looking to build on the Warner win and the extended five-set test against St. Thomas as the schedule continues.