BABSON PARK & LAKE WALES, Fla. — The Life University men's volleyball team split a pair of Appalachian Athletic Conference matches Friday, falling in a tightly contested morning matchup against St. Thomas (Fla.) before bouncing back with a gritty five-set road win over Warner (Fla.) later in the day.

The Running Eagles showed resilience throughout the day, responding from a tough sweep with one of their most complete performances in a five-set battle to close out the night.

Life opened the day in Lake Wales against St. Thomas, where the Bobcats used a high-powered offense to control the match. The opening set remained tight early, with kills from Serano Keijl, Jan Burhardt, and Charles Ewer keeping Life within striking distance. Trailing 20–19 late, the Running Eagles were undone by a decisive service run, as St. Thomas recorded five aces in the set to pull away for a 25–20 win.

The second set proved to be the turning point of the morning. Life jumped out to an early lead behind strong serving from Riley Chapman and continued to trade runs with the Bobcats in a frame that featured 18 ties. Keijl delivered in key moments, fighting off multiple set points with clutch swings, while Burhardt remained efficient in transition. Despite the effort, St. Thomas narrowly escaped with a 30–28 win to take control of the match.

In the third, the Bobcats maintained their momentum, hitting .654 with 17 kills and no errors. Life stayed competitive early, but a mid-set surge created separation, as St. Thomas closed out the sweep with a 25–17 decision.

The Running Eagles regrouped in Babson Park for the nightcap against Warner and responded with a statement performance in a five-set thriller.

Life came out with energy in the opening set, using early kills from Keijl and Jakub Kantorowicz to build an advantage. After Warner surged ahead mid-set, Life answered late behind a Kantorowicz service ace and consecutive kills from Keijl and Burhardt to secure a 25–23 win.

Warner responded in the second set, capitalizing on Life's offensive struggles to even the match at 1–1 with a 25–18 victory.

The Running Eagles delivered their most efficient stretch of the day in the third set, hitting .538 as a team. Balanced production from Keijl and Kantorowicz fueled a key run that created separation, and Life controlled the set throughout to take a 2–1 match lead with a 25–20 win.

The fourth set saw Warner once again answer, forcing a deciding fifth set with a 25–19 victory.

In the decisive frame, Life delivered its best volleyball of the day. The Running Eagles hit a blistering .643 with zero attacking errors, as Keijl and Burhardt provided early momentum and Vincent Eisinga anchored the net defensively. Life maintained control down the stretch, closing out the 15–11 win to secure the 3–2 victory.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORES

• Life totaled 97 kills across the two matches, including 61 in the win over Warner
• The Running Eagles hit .287 in the nightcap, including a .643 mark in the decisive fifth set
• Life recorded 92 assists, 73 digs, eight blocks, and seven service aces on the day
• St. Thomas hit .462 in the morning match, while Warner was limited late in the fifth set

STANDOUT PERFORMANCES

• Serano Keijl led the way with 32 total kills on the day, including 22 in the five-set win
• Jan Burhardt combined for 16 kills, highlighted by an ultra-efficient .889 performance against St. Thomas
• Jakub Kantorowicz totaled 14 kills, 15 digs, and four service aces across both matches
• Riley Chapman dished out 75 assists, directing the offense in both contests
• Vincent Eisinga added 10 kills and six blocks, making a strong impact at the net
• Charles Ewer contributed seven kills on the day
• Nazmi Bayoglu anchored the back row with 30 digs across the two matches
• Ethan Bustos chipped in key production in both matches, including seven kills and seven digs in the win over Warner