Glendale, Ariz.- On Thursday evening, Arizona Christian finally broke through against Benedictine Mesa as the Firestorm beat the Redhawks in five sets. The ACU win not only moved the Firestorm up in the standings but was a first time win against BENU in men's volleyball.
Match Info
- Match score: Arizona Christian - 3, Benedictine Mesa - 2
- Set 1: ACU 25-20
- Set 2: BENU 25-18
- Set 3: BENU 25-23
- Set 4: ACU 25-23
- Set 5: ACU 15-9
- Records: Arizona Christian- 11-7, 8-4 GSAC, Benedictine Mesa - 9-11, 7-4 GSAC
- Location: Firestorm Recreation Center, Arizona Christian University, Glendale, AZ
ACU Stats
Inside the Box Score
- Fifteen ties took place in the first 32 points
- A 5-0 run bookended by kills from Pimentel gave ACU the lead the remainder of set one
- ACU hit an even .500 in the opening set
- Set two was completely different as the Redhawks scored the first three points and did not allow a tie
- Lead changes were abundant in the middle part of set three before BENU took control
- The Redhawks were up early in the fourth set
- But Spartz became a one man show with three kills and four aces in an eight point span to push ACU ahead for good
- In the decisive fifth set, ACU jumped out to a 4-0 advantage (Spartz kill, block from Merlino and Ganem)
- The Firestorm did not allow a tie
- After coming up short in their first 12 attempts dating back to 2019, the Firestorm made meeting 13 special with the win
Thoughts from Coach Toben
"Tonight was bigger than just a win—it was history. To battle through five sets against a tough Benedictine Mesa team and come out on top says everything about this group's heart, resilience, and belief in each other. But more than that, it's a testament to their faith—staying grounded, trusting the process, and giving God the glory through every point. First moment like this in program history, and they earned every bit of it. Proud of this group!"
Up Next
Arizona Christian will stay home to face NAIA number one ranked The Master's a week from Friday as the Firestorm will have the weekend off to celebrate Easter. The match with the Mustangs will begin at 6:00 pm.
