Late Rallies Turned Away In Opener
Glendale, Ariz.- After dropping their first two sets of the 2025 season, Arizona Christian rallied to win the third set and mounted a huge comeback in the fourth set before coming up just short against Dordt. A trio of Freshman led the ACU attack.
Match Info
- Match score: Dordt- 3, Arizona Christian-1
- Set 1: DU 25-22
- Set 2: DU 25-20
- Set 3: ACU 25-22
- Set 4: DU 25-21
- Records: Arizona Christian- 0-1, Dordt- 3-1
- NAIA Top 10 Rank: Arizona Christian- RV, Dordt- RV
- Location: Firestorm Recreation Center, Arizona Christian University, Glendale, AZ
ACU Stats
- Connor Monahan– 20 kills
- Caleb Merlino– 11 kills
- Elijah Chiriac– 7 kills, 7 digs
- Madduxx Goron– 23 assists
- Kyle Berger– 15 assists
Inside the Box Score
- The Firestorm started the match with the early lead that grew to three points on several occasions
- But up 21-19 ACU could not hold on as Dordt score six of the final seven points
- Monahan had six kills in his first collegiate set
- The Defenders moved ahead in the early points of the second set and remained there
- A block by Korbin Torres and Torin Hanson started the third set and ACU never gave up the lead
- Sixteen points into the fourth set, Dordt held a 13-3 edge
- Behind 22-12 in the fourth, the Firestorm used a 6-0 run to get back into the set (two kills by Merlino)
- ACU continued to fight back to 24-21 deficit before DU secured the final point
Thoughts from Coach Bruns
“We have goals for this season and we are headed in the right direction. I am proud of the way we fought but we have to execute the game plan better. What was exciting was we had five freshmen on the floor and there are a lot of positives from such a young squad. Connor, Caleb, and Elijah did some great things tonight. Jeremy’s experience at IVC really showed as a Libero.”
“We can keep our heads high but we have a long way to go.”
Up Next
Next week, the Firestorm will head out to Iowa for three matches beginning on Thursday.
