Graceland Volleyball Wraps Opening Tournament 0-4 Following Judson, Rio Grande Losses
BOURBONNAIS, Ill. — The Graceland University men's volleyball team closed out its opening weekend of the 2026 season with two straight-set defeats Saturday at the Judson Tournament. The Yellowjackets fell to host Judson University (25-18, 25-17, 25-19) and later dropped their tournament finale to University of Rio Grande (25-16, 25-18, 25-17), concluding the two-day event with an 0-4 overall record.
MATCH 1: JUDSON 3, GRACELAND 0 (25-18, 25-17, 25-19)
Graceland opened Saturday's action against Judson and showed early energy, but errors and inconsistent serve-receive limited scoring runs. The Yellowjackets hit .011 as a team, collecting 20 kills on 91 total attacks with 18 errors.
Nick English paced the offense with six kills on 21 swings, while Kaden Joseph added four. Setter Andrew Cziep tallied 11 assists and added five digs on the defensive end.
Judson controlled the match with balanced production, registering 32 kills and hitting .194 as a team. The Eagles also produced seven aces and limited Graceland to just one team block.
Defensively, Graceland managed 21 digs, with libero Luis Garcia and English leading back row coverage. Blake Hauschild contributed defensively with two block assists.
MATCH 2: RIO GRANDE 3, GRACELAND 0 (25-16, 25-18, 25-17)
In the tournament finale, Graceland faced a physical Rio Grande squad that attacked efficiently across all three sets. The Yellowjackets were held to 22 kills on 87 total attacks, finishing with a -.011 team hitting percentage due to 23 errors.
Kaden Joseph again led Graceland offensively, finishing with five kills, while English, Hauschild, and Jerze Simonson added support with multiple finishes each.
Cziep recorded another 11-assist effort, and Garcia added five digs. English and Cziep each contributed three digs, while Graceland added three team blocks overall.
Rio Grande hit .221 as a team, led by Otavio Tonoli and Thomas Lhoste, who each tallied seven kills and combined for a strong presence at the net. The RedStorm totaled 37 kills and six service aces.
With the two Saturday losses, Graceland closed the Judson Tournament 0-4 overall. The Yellowjackets faced teams from the NAIA and NCCAA in a challenging opening weekend designed to test a young roster early in the season.
The Yellowjackets are 0-0 in Heart of America Athletic Conference (HAAC) play and will look to build momentum as the non-conference slate continues.
Head Coach Eric Majors remained confident in the team's trajectory despite the results. "Athletically we are able to compete with the top teams here. As our young lineup continues to mature, we expect improved results," Majors said.
NEXT MATCH
Graceland returns to Lamoni for its home opener on Saturday evening, taking on Grand View University at 5:30 p.m. inside the Morden Center.
For more information on Graceland University men's volleyball and all Yellowjackets athletics, visit GUjackets.com.