St. Thomas (FL) 3, Governors State 2
Set Scores: 22–25, 25–22, 25–23, 17–25, 18–16
Governors State pushed St. Thomas to the limit in a five-set battle, but the Bobcats edged the Jaguars in the final set, 3–2. GovState hit .261 as a team and totaled 71 kills, getting big swings from Daniel Lopez and his 27 kills, and Diego Antunez with 20 kills of his own. Lopez also added five aces and 16 digs, helping the Jaguars stay aggressive from the service line in a match that featured momentum swings throughout. The Jaguars’ best stretch came in the fourth set, where they erupted for 15 kills on a .545 hitting clip to force a deciding fifth. In the final set, GovState stayed neck-and-neck but came up just short, falling 18–16.
Governors State 3, Cornerstone (MI) 1
Set Scores: 25–19, 27–29, 25–21, 25–19
The Jaguars responded with force later in the day, defeating Cornerstone 3–1 behind a balanced offense and steady defense. Daniel Lopez again paced the attack with 16 kills while adding four aces and 10 digs, and Diego Antunez matched the energy with 17 kills and five digs. GovState finished with 46 kills and a .161 team hitting mark, while holding Cornerstone to a .095 clip by limiting clean looks and keeping pressure on serve-receive. Jared Byas anchored the back row with 22 digs and chipped in two aces, while Elias Stommel directed the offense with 16 assists. After dropping a tight second set in extra points, the Jaguars controlled sets three and four to close out the match and secure the home victory.