WEST DES MOINES, Iowa - The Indiana Tech Warriors faced a tough defeat against The Master's University Mustangs in their first pool play game of the NAIA National Tournament on Tuesday at the MidAmerican Energy Company RecPlex in West Des Moines, with a final score of 2-3. Despite a valiant effort from the Warriors, the Mustangs proved to be a formidable opponent, ultimately coming out on top in a thrilling match.
 
After dropping the first two sets, Tech showed they weren't going away as they battled back to win sets three and four to force the fifth set. The Mustangs were able to outlast the Warriors in set five, sealing their victory 15-12 to pick up a crucial win to start pool play.
 
The Warriors showed promising performance in individual stats, with several players making significant contributions to the team's efforts. Daynte Stewart was a force to be reckoned with on the offensive end, recording 19 kills and a hitting percentage of .457, followed closely by Dante Siracusa with 12 kills and Jon Fonda with 6 kills. Stewart also contributed 2 aces, along with Jacob Carrico and Ben Rosenow adding 1 ace each. Fonda was a force at the net, tallying 5 blocks, while Raekwon Rogers and Dylan Poore also added 3 blocks each. Brandon Jones provided excellent setting, finishing with 48 assists, and Joey Hermes led the team in digs with 7.
 
The Orange and Black continue their National Tournament Wednesday as they take on Menlo College in their final pool play game. The First serve is set to take place at 11:00 AM ET.