Men’s Volleyball Opens Season with Sweep of Graceland

BOURBONNAIS, Ill. – The Mount Vernon Nazarene University men's volleyball team (1-0) began its 2026 campaign in the Olivet Nazarene Tourney, hosted by Olivet Nazarene University against Graceland University (0-1) on Thursday, January 22.

MVNU started the first set of its season slow, falling behind the Yellow Jackets 7-15. MVNU battled back to tie the set at 19-19, before falling behind again 20-23. The Cougars were resilent, going on a 5-0 scoring run to comeback and claim set one 25-23. MVNU used the momentum from its big win in the first set to claim another victory in set two. The Cougars led from start to finish and would win 25-21. While the Yellow Jackets controlled much of set three, MVNU had another comeback effort up its sleeve. Trailing 15-18, the Cougars rallied off five straight points to take charge and would end up taking the third set 25-20 for its first win of the 2026 season.

Tommy Tierney had a great collegiate debut, finishing with a match-high 10 kills. Ethan Cline followed with nine kills, while Xander Devault and Noah Wineberg each had seven. Wineberg added a match-high five blocks. Jaxson Snell had a match-high 28 assists and had a team-high seven digs.

What's Next

MVNU concludes the Olivet Nazarene Tourney with matches against Midway University and Dordt University at 9:00 a.m and 12:00 p.m. EST, respectively.

Mount Vernon Nazarene University is a private, four-year, intentionally Christian teaching university for traditional age students, graduate students, and working adults. With a 327-acre main campus in Mount Vernon, Ohio, MVNU emphasizes academic excellence, spiritual growth, and service to community and church. MVNU offers an affordable education both in-seat and online to nearly 2,200 students from 36 states, 1 U.S. commonwealth and 41 foreign countries.