Norfolk, VA - A year ago, five young men began a journey together as they helped start the Regent University Men's Volleyball team. Fast forward to this season, they celebrated the end of that journey today as they were honored on Senior Day prior to the Royals' match-up with Warren Wilson College. The crowd in attendance came early to witness the ceremony and in addition they saw a match that showcased strong serving, efficient attacking, and defensive toughness. While Regent dropped the opening set they fought back to take the next three, sending their Seniors out on top, winning by a final score of 3-1.
The Owls jumped out to an early lead in set one, but the Royals responded in set two behind a balanced attack and solid serving, helping them pull away for a 25-17 win. Graduate Student Jaxson Gray (Chesapeake, VA) and Senior Keith Larkin (Snohomish, WA) provided consistent scoring, while fellow Senior Lucas Whitman (Suffolk, VA) orchestrated the offense recording 31 assists on the afternoon increasing his all-time leading total. Set three turned into a dominant statement for Regent as they built a commanding lead and never looked back, cruising to a win 25-13.. Gray ended his career on a high note, finishing with 9 kills on a .500 hitting percentage, while adding 3 solo blocks and a service ace. The fourth set was tightly contested, as Warren Wilson College began a late charge to close the gap and eventually tie the score at 23-23. However, the Royals stayed focused under pressure as Senior Preston Nemeti (Burke, VA) delivered key kills, and then Freshman Sam Parsons (Fayetteville, NC) sent the Seniors off with a win delivering a service ace for the final point of the match.
- Larkin led the Regent with 12 kills and added a service ace while hitting .300.
- Nemeti contributed 11 kills on the day
- Gray finished with 9 kills and 4 blocks (3 solo)
- Whitman had a solid performance finishing with 31 assists, 13 digs, and 3 service aces.
As a team, the Royals posted a solid .235 attack percentage (46 kills, 18 errors on 119 attempts) while dominating at the service line with 10 service aces. Regent also held the edge in blocks (6-3) and digs (55-53).
The Royals will now turn their focus to the offseason and this prepare of fall conditioning and the 2027 season, They would like to thank their family, friends and fans for all their support this season.
