MIDWAY, Ky. -- Following a season that saw the Eagles make a run in the Mid-South Conference Tournament, the Midway men's volleyball team got their 2022 season underway on Friday (Jan. 21) when they hosted the Roosevelt University Lakers in Marshall Gymnasium.

The Eagles got off to a bit of a slow start in the opening frame, but quickly shook that off before rolling to the 3-0 (25-22, 25-12, 25-22) victory in their season and home opener.

With the win, Jonea Rima's club improves to 1-0 on the season, while Roosevelt drops to 0-1 on the year.

As a team, the Eagles finished with 34 kills in their 88 swings to finish with a .205 hitting clip, while their defense held the Lakers to a negative attacking percentage. Roosevelt carded just 16 kills committing 19 miscues in their 76 attempts.

The opening stanza was a back-and-forth battle that saw the Lakers take a 17-16 edge late in the set. Midway tied the set at 18, but then got an ace from Franzso Severre (St. Thomas, Virgin Islands) as well as back-to-back kills from Jonathan McGuyer (Sierra Vista, Ariz.) and Victor Bazzo (Gloria de Dourados, Brazil) to kickstart a 5-0 run as Midway claimed a 25-22 win in the opening set.

Trailing 7-3 in the second frame, the Eagles were forced to call a timeout before catching fire behind the strong serve of Severre and McGuyer. Severre served three aces in a 9-0 run and McGuyer served two in another 9-0 run as Midway cruised to the 25-12 victory and a 2-0 lead.

The final frame was similar to the first, but the Eagles got some breathing room after breaking a tie at nine points apiece. Joey Boujaoude (Cincinnati, Ohio) and Severre put down back-to-back kills to give Midway a 14-9 lead. The Lakers cut the deficit to 21-19, but back-to-back kills from Bazzo put a stamp on the 25-22 win clinching the 3-0 sweep.

Victor Bazzo carded a double-double and led the way with 14 kills to go with his 10 digs from the backrow. Joey Boujaoude added eight kills and hit .333, while Franzso Severre added six kills and a team-high five service aces.

Sophomore setter, Daniel Cogo (Padua, Italy) turned in a terrific performance with 28 assists to go with his five digs. Steven Tippenhauer (Cincinnati, Ohio) and Jonathan McGuyer added eight and six digs, respectively.

Midway will now have the next week off before heading to Pittsburgh, Pa. to compete in a tri-match with Carlow and Saint Vincent (Pa.) on Saturday (Jan. 29).

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