GEORGETOWN, Ky. – The Indiana Tech men's volleyball team traveled south to Georgetown, Kentucky, to compete in the Georgetown Invite. On Thursday, the Orange and Black started the 2024 campaign with a 3-2 win over the hosts, Georgetown College. On Friday, Tech went 2-0 with a 3-2 win over Olivet Nazarene and a 3-1 win, beating Talladega to conclude their trip 3-0.
 
Against the hosts on Thursday, the Warriors got off to a slow start in the first set as Georgetown opened the match with a 15-5 run. Tech closed the game with a 14-10 run, but the lead the Tigers had established was too much for the Warriors to overcome as they dropped the first set. The Tigers opened the second set with a 3-0 run, which the Warriors immediately matched to tie the game 3-3. After duplicating the opening 6 points, the Warriors took an 8-7 advantage for their first lead of the day off a kill from Logan Gamero. After trading points through the rest of the set, the Warriors found themselves trailing 24-25 but took advantage of a service error, closing the set on a 3-0 run to claim it 27-25. The third set was like the first, as the Warriors never led, falling 22-25. In the fourth set, the Warriors got off to a better start, scoring first for the first time in the match. A kill from Daynte Stewart sparked a 4-0 run for the Warriors, which gave Tech momentum they'd maintain for the remainder of the set to win 25-22. In the final set, Tech got off to a fast start, opening with a 7-1 run, which established a lead the Warriors wouldn't relinquish, winning 15-9.
 
In the first match Friday, the Warriors faced Olivet Nazarene University, winning another 3-2 thriller. In set one, Raekwon Rogers started with back-to-back kills from Brandon Jones to set the tone. The Warriors continued to build on short 2-0 and 3-0 runs to extend the lead on their way to winning the opening set 25-20. The second set was all Tech; getting out to a 12-4 lead in the early stages allowed them to control the rest of the set, ultimately winning the second 25-16. The third set favored the Tigers; although the Warriors kept things close and were able to draw level at 20 and take a 26-25 lead, they were unable to hold on, falling 29-27. Tech opened the fourth set on a 12-6 run, but the Tigers responded with a 10-4 run of their own to knot the game at 16. Tech battled and put themselves in a good position, up 22-19, but the Tigers weren't going away, closing the set with a 6-1 run to claim the fourth set over Tech. Little separated the two teams through the 8-point mark of the final set, but with the game tied at 8, Daynte Stewart put down back-to-back kills to start a 5-0 run that would give Tech the momentum needed to win the set 15-13 and claim the match.
 
Against Talladega, the Warriors started set one with a 3-0 run, pushing to an early 10-4 lead over the Tornadoes. However, Talladega refused to back down, battling back and drawing level 18-18 and taking their first lead of the set, 21-20. The momentum Talladega had built was enough to carry them past Tech to take the first set 25-22. The Orange and Black found their footing in the second set, coming out hot on a 9-1 run to start the set, and didn't slow down on their way to a 25-18 set two win. The third set was the closest of the match, with neither team able to establish much of a lead, trading points down to the wire. With the set tied at 24, the Warriors took advantage of a service error and claimed the set with a kill from Austin Runyard. The fourth set was all Warriors. After jumping to an early 6-0 lead, Tech never trailed en route to a 25-20 set win to claim the match.
 
The Warriors are back in action for their first home game of the season on Tuesday, February 8^th, hosting Cumberland University (Tenn.) at 7:30 p.m. in the Schaefer Center.