WILKES-BARRE, PA (March 20, 2026) --The King's College men's volleyball team picked up a straight-set victory over Neumann University on Friday afternoon inside McGrane Gymnasium, defeating the Knights 3-0. The Monarchs controlled extended stretches in each frame and closed out the match by scores of 25-13, 25-12, and 25-15. With the win, King's advances to 8-12 overall, while Neumann drops to 3-12 on the season.
 
King's opened the match with immediate momentum in the first set. Logan Place put down the opening point on a feed from Ben Maskiell before Maskiell rattled off three consecutive service aces to give the Monarchs a quick 4-0 lead. Neumann briefly stopped the run, but King's responded as Greg Bousquet recorded a kill to push the lead to 5-1.
 
The Monarchs continued to stretch the margin through the middle of the set. Alex Schoch got up for a block to make it 6-1,before Antonio Tavarez and Bousquet teamed up for another block as King's moved ahead 8-2. Tavarez then took over from the service line, delivering back-to-back aces to widen the gap to 15-6. Schoch and Alex Martellacci followed with kills during the run as the Monarchs remained firmly in control.
 
King's closed the set with steady execution. Schoch added a service ace, Nathan Yelinko recorded a kill off a Maskiell set, and Tavarez finished another swing late to bring the score to 24-11. After a brief Neumann response, the Monarchs secured the final point to take the opener, 25-13.
 
The second set opened with King's again dictating play. Place recorded two early kills sandwiched around a Bousquet finish as the Monarchs jumped out to a 3-0 lead. Neumann answered with a point, but Schoch responded with a kill to keep King's in front, 4-1.
 
After a brief exchange, Schoch added another kill, and Bousquet followed with a finish off Maskiell as King's moved ahead 7-3. Tavarez then contributed a kill to push the score to 8-3, paired up with Bousquet for a denial at the net, and hammered another ball down to the court as the Monarchs reached 10-3.
The Monarchs continued to separate through the middle of the set. Bousquet recorded another kill to make it 12-5, and Martellacci followed with a kill off Maskiell. Maskiell then added a kill of his own before setting up Logan Aikens for a finish as the score moved to 16-7.
 
King's closed the set with extended pressure. Brian Weaver recorded a pair of kills and Maskiell followed with a service ace to push the lead to 20-9. Yelinko added a kill late in the frame, allowing Maskiell to finish the set with consecutive service aces as the Monarchs secured the second set, 25-9.
 
King's carried its rhythm into the third set. Weaver recorded the first point with a kill off a Maskiell set, and Bousquet followed with a kill on the next rally to give the Monarchs a 2-0 edge. Neumann mustered a brief response, but Bousquet responded again to keep King's ahead, 3-1.
 
The Monarchs continued to widen the gap as the set progressed. Martellacci added a kill to make it 4-2 and Aiden Glasgow set up Brady Taylor for another finish as King's moved in front 8-4. Martellacci followed with a service ace during a stretch that extended the lead to 10-4, while Weaver added another kill to grow the margin at 12-4.
 
Neumann attempted to close the gap late, but King's maintained control down the stretch. Aikens recorded multiple kills to push the score to 18-9, and Luke Hammond added a key kill during the closing run. Hammond sealed the match with a service ace as the Monarchs closed the third set, 25-11, to complete the sweep.

Bousquet anchored the offense with a match-high nine kills while Maskiell directed the Monarchs with 27 assists along with seven service aces. Taylor contributed eight helpers as the team finished with 38 kills on 36 assists and a hitting percentage of .485.
 
Defensively, Martellacci led the way with seven digs as Schoch contributed a pair of solo blocks. Tavarez and Bousquet both recorded two block assists each.
 
The Monarchs return to action tomorrow, hosting Hood College and St. John Fisher University for a Saturday tri-match. First serve against the Blazers is set for 12:00 p.m., followed by the neutral site contest at 2:00 p.m. Prior to the 4:00 p.m. finale against St. John Fisher, the graduating class of Alex Martellacci, Ben Maskiell and Greg Bousquet will be honored with a pregame ceremony.