TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – The Soka University Lions opened their season on Friday, January 30, at the Showdown in the Woods, hosted by Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, competing in two matches.
Soka began the day against Kentucky State University, falling 3-0 (25-17,25-18,25-17) to the Thorobreds. Kentucky State controlled the match offensively, hitting .278 as a team.
Isaac Jeremia led the Lions with seven kills and two blocks, while
Kamohoalii Chan added six kills.
Aiden Chen anchored the back row with a team-high seven digs, and setters
Andres Chavez and
Jacob Marquez combined for 15 assists.
Later that day, the Lions returned to the court and delivered a breakthrough performance against Rochester Christian, earning the first program win in match play with a five-set victory. The match was a true back-and-forth from the opening serve. Rochester edged a tight first set 26-24 before the Lions answered with a dominant response in sets two and three, flipping momentum behind strong serving runs and timely kills. Rochester rallied in set four to force a fifth, setting up a race to 15 that stayed neck-and-neck until the final points.
Kamohoalii Chan led all players with 16 kills, adding eight digs in a complete all-around performance.
Jacob Marquez followed with 13 kills and directed the offense with a team-high 17 assists, earning a double-double.
Isaac Jeremia contributed nine kills, two aces, and two blocks.
Diego Caceres anchored the net with a standout performance, recording seven blocks, including several momentum-changing stops late in sets.
From the service line, Soka totaled nine aces, with
Yuko Jitoho, Jeremia, and Marquez each registering two. Defensively, Jitoho led the Lions with 12 digs, while Marquez added nine and Chan chipped in eight.
Andres Chavez provided a steady presence off the bench, finishing with 13 assists and a key service run in the later sets.
The Lions will continue their trip to Indiana with two matches on Saturday, January 31, with the first match at 6:00 a.m. PT against Goshen. The Lions will end the trip with a match against Saint Mary-of-the-Woods at 9:00 a.m. PT.
