CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa [BOX SCORE] – The Park (Mo.) Pirates stayed unbeaten and turned a tight opening set loss into a 3–1 win over the Saint Xavier (Ill.) Cougars on May 2 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, rallying after dropping the first set 26–24 to take the final three 30–28, 25–22, 25–21.
Saint Xavier came out sharp and sealed the win on set one despite being out-hit, leaning on steady first-ball play and timely points late to edge Park by two points. The match immediately shifted into a grind in set two, where both sides traded long runs and sideouts past regulation. Park’s ability to score in transition and limit mistakes at the finish proved decisive in the 30–28 swing set, and that momentum carried into sets three and four as Park’s offense became progressively more efficient.
The clearest separator was attacking efficiency. Park finished at .252 for the match (60 kills, 25 errors on 139 attempts) and peaked in set three with a dominant .419 hitting clip (15 kills, just 2 errors on 31 swings). Saint Xavier ended at .156 (48 kills, 25 errors on 147 attempts). After the first set, Saint Xavier hit under .200 in each of the final three sets, while Park paired a strong set two (.312) with its explosive third to take control.
Park’s attack was led by Adrian Figueroa, who posted a match-high 22 kills on 53 swings, and Moises Ortiz, who added nine kills on 15 attempts while also anchoring the net with 10 block assists and 15 points overall. Murillo Silva chipped in 15 kills. Setter Umberto Caleca ran the offense with 50 assists as Park generated 60 kills and consistently found ways to score when rallies extended.
For Saint Xavier, Matt Pennala carried the scoring load with 21 kills and 13 digs. Caydann Cox reached double figures with 10 kills and contributed from the service line with two aces, while Cameron Daniels directed the offense with 43 assists and also served aggressively, finishing with four aces. Saint Xavier recorded 10 service aces overall.
Defense and net play also tilted Park’s way. Park recorded 25 total blocks (2 solo, 25 assists) compared with Saint Xavier’s 19, and Park’s backcourt produced 55 digs, highlighted by Alessandro Gozzi’s 17 and Maldonado’s nine. Saint Xavier finished with 44 digs, with Pennala (13) and Andres Velez (10) having the highest contributions, but the late-set efficiency gap—especially Park’s third-set surge—decided the match.
With the win, Park finished the season undefeated at 35–0, while Saint Xavier moved to 31–4.
All-Tournament Team
Isaac Seltzer, The Master’s (Calif.)
Caydann Cox, St. Xavier (Ill.)
Moises Ortiz, Park (Mo.)
Murillo Silva, Park (Mo.)
Adrian Figueroa, Park (Mo.)
Sportsman of the Year: Mihailo Ivanovic, Park (Mo.)
Tournament Most Valuable Player: Adrian Figueroa, Park (Mo.)
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