ALLIANCE, Ohio -- Mount Union's men's volleyball team split a pair of matches on the first day of competition at the 2019 Purple Raider Rumble Friday night at the McPherson Academic and Athletic Complex.

Against Thiel (Pa.) (1-6), the Purple Raiders (5-9) lost in four sets by scores of 20-25, 18-25, 25-21 and 24-26. Freshman opposite hitter Mark Bruns (Columbus/Upper Arlington) led the offense with 15 kills. Setting up the hitters was freshman setter Jeremy Leyden (Cuyahoga Falls/Archbishop Hoban) as he dished out 30 assists. 

Freshman libero Steven Grenier (Hawthorn Woods, Ill./Lake Zurich) headed the defense to collect 14 digs. At the net, freshman outside hitter Kaleb Krebs (Pittsburgh, Pa./Seton LaSalle) recorded four blocks against the Tomcats.

In a rematch against Trine (Ind.) (2-9), Mount Union came away with the win in four sets at 25-17, 25-13, 23-25 and 25-10. Bruns and sophomore ouotside hitter Justin Sibbel (Stow/Stow-Munroe Falls) both registered double digit kills with Bruns leading the way with 17, followed by Sibbel's 12. Bruns and Sibbel were assisted by Leyden, who tallied 38 assists in the match. 

Bruns and Sibbel's success carried over to the service line as they each landed five aces.

Defensively, Grenier and Sibbel both collected double digit digs against the Thunder, Grenier with 14 and Sibbel with 11. Krebs remained powerful at the net with eight blocks.

The Purple Raider Rumble resumes Saturday morning, February 9, with matches starting at 9 a.m.