ALISO VIEJO, Calif. – The Soka University men's volleyball team opened the match strongly but ultimately fell to the visiting Simpson University Red Hawks men's volleyball in four sets, 28–26, 22–25, 11–25, 23–25, on March 10 in Aliso Viejo, California.
Soka started the evening with one of its most competitive sets of the season. The Lions battled point-for-point with Simpson throughout the opener, fueled by several early kills from
Kamohoalii Chan and
Isaac Jeremia off assists by
Jacob Marquez. After multiple lead changes late in the set, Soka closed the frame on a short run to secure a 28–26 victory and take the early match lead.
Simpson responded in the second set, using balanced offense and timely defensive plays to regain momentum. Despite continued scoring from Chan and Jeremia, the Red Hawks edged ahead late and claimed the set 25–22 to even the match.
The third set swung decisively in Simpson's favor. The Red Hawks capitalized on attack errors and a strong offensive stretch to pull away, limiting Soka to six kills in the set while taking a 25–11 win and a 2–1 advantage in the match.
Soka showed resilience in the fourth set, keeping the score tight through much of the frame. Kills from
Christian Obergfell, Chan, and Jeremia helped the Lions stay within striking distance, but Simpson maintained a narrow edge down the stretch and closed the set 25–23 to secure the four-set victory.
Chan led the Lions offensively with 12 kills and two service aces, while Obergfell added 10 kills and four block assists. Jeremia contributed eight kills, along with one solo block and two block assists. Marquez directed the offense with 31 assists and added nine digs defensively. On the back line,
Aiden Chen recorded five digs and
Yuko Jitoho finished with three digs.
As a team, Soka totaled 40 kills, four aces, and six total blocks while recording 43 digs in the match.
Despite the result, Soka's strong opening set and multiple contributors across the lineup highlighted continued development for the Lions as they move forward in the season.
