BEREA, Ohio - The Baldwin Wallace University men's volleyball team opened the 2024 season as it hosted the Baldwin Wallace Invitational where it took down non-conference opponents Buffalo State (N.Y.) University and Eastern Mennonite (Va.) University in Ursprung Gymnasium inside the Lou Higgins Center. 

BW (2-0) opened the Invitational on Saturday, January 20 as they took down Buffalo State (0-2) in the season opener and the Bengals' inaugural match in four sets by scores of 25-22, 25-19, 21-25, and 25-18. On Sunday, January 21, the Yellow Jackets then defeated Eastern Mennonite (3-1) in four sets by scores of 27-25, 23-25, 25-18, 28-26. 

 vs. Buffalo State

• Senior All-Midwest Collegiate Volleyball League outside hitter Michael Beard (Hilliard/Darby) and freshman outside hitter Owen Huynh (Loveland) led the Yellow Jackets as they each recorded 13 kills
• Junior right-side hitter Carson Junker (Massillon/Jackson) and junior setter Evan Herbst (Hamburg, N.Y.) tallied 25 assists and 18 assists, respectively
• Sophomore libero Aiden Kim (Bothell, Wash./North Creek) led the defense with 13 digs
• Junior middle hitter Reed Fisher (Freedom, Pa./Ambridge Area) finished with five kills and two block assists
• Sophomore Academic All-MCVL middle hitter Josh Steinitz (Towson, Md./Friends School of Baltimore) added eight kills 
• Junior All-MCVL right-side hitter Michael Devlin (Zelienople, Pa./Seneca Valley) finished with seven kills and four digs
• Freshman right-side hitter Jacob Esteves (Wickliffe/St. Edward) had two kills and two digs in his collegiate debut

vs. Eastern Mennonite

• Herbst got the start and recorded 20 assists while Junker added 33 more off the bench
• Freshman outside hitter Daniel Latham (Westerville/Westerville Central) started his BW career off big with 15 kills, nine digs, and four total blocks
• Kim led BW with another 14 digs against the Royals
• Beard had another 18 kills and 10 digs
• Sophomore middle hitter Colby Whiteside (Powell/Olentangy Liberty) finished with seven kills and four total blocks including one to seal the game for the Yellow Jackets
• Devlin grabbed eight more kills and six digs 

Up Next

BW is back in action on Saturday, January 27 as they travel to Erie, Pa. for non-conference matchups again Penn State University Behrend at 11 a.m. and No. 5 nationally ranked St. John Fisher (N.Y.) College at 1 p.m. in the Junker Center.