The Eagles opened their season against the Red Arrows of Lowell in a non-conference dual match at home. The Eagles were eager to play, especially after the unexpected non-season of 2020. This year’s seniors were sophomores the last time they stepped on the court. 

The Eagles played a bit timid and unsure to kick off the first set but were able to claw their way back in behind a stretch of aggressive serves from junior outside hitter Tanner Warners. Lowell’s outside hitter racked up a number of points of his own with uncontested kills from the outside and back row. The teams traded leads repeatedly, each fighting off multiple set point opportunities from the opposition. The Eagles showed resilience and determination, emerging on top 28-26. In set 2, the Eagles built a comfortable margin early on behind offensive bursts from senior outside hitter Irvin "Bear" Burt. They held the lead for a 25-19 win concluding with clutch serves from junior Xavier Wright. Set 3 proved to be another nail-biter with multiple runs on both sides of the net. At this point, the Eagles were building confidence, executing their offense more consistently behind the setting of junior Sam Seven. Furthermore, their defense energized their offense with highlight-reel blocks from Senior right side hitter Zach Bierling and junior middle hitter Charlie Walters along with eye-popping diggs from Warners, Bierling and senior Connor Geesin. That confidence carried the Eagles to a 25-22 win, concluding the straight-set victory (28-26, 25-19, 25-22).

Next up… the Eagles host their conference opener Monday, April 19 with a Central Division quad match vs Sparta, Hudsonville and South Christian.