Virginia Beach, VA – On Wednesday night, the Regent University Men's Volleyball team made their annual short trip down I-64 for a match-up with Virginia Wesleyan University.  The two schools are the only NCAA DIII programs in the city, and the quick drive allows Royals fans to come out and support the team, which they did, outnumbering the Marlin faithful.  Despite the straight-sets loss (11-25, 19-25, 15-25), the Royals demonstrated growth, battled hard in stretches, and had several standout individual performances. 

In the first set, Regent struggled to find rhythm early, but solid defensive plays from libero Senior Ariel Downer (Spring Lake, NC), who finished the match with a team-high 11 digs, helped spark scoring rallies.  The second set was the most productive on the night for Regent. Trailing early, the Royals responded with ball control and aggressive swings. Senior Preston Nemeti (Burke, VA) delivered a strong performance with 6 kills on an .182 hitting percentage, while fellow Senior Keith Larkin (Snohomish, WA) added 5 kills and 2 blocks. Regent was able to close the gap significantly, pushing the score to within striking distance at multiple points.   

Senior Lucas Whitman (Suffolk, VA) directed the offense with 16 assists and helped keep sets alive under pressure, while Freshman Sam Parsons (Fayetteville, NC) contributed 5 kills and a team-leading effort in the back row with consistent digs. Sophomore Theydon Roles (King George, VA) played the best game of his career, finishing with a team high 4 blocks, and Senior Jaxson Grey (Chesapeake, VA) added 3 kills to add to his season leading total.   

The Royals will be back in action on Friday, January 30th when they travel to Ashland to compete in the Randolph-Macon College Tournament.  They will open up with Gallaudet University at 7:00pm.