Pride drop Senior Day match in four sets to Morningside

DUBUQUE, Iowa - Hosting their final home match at the Kehl Center for the 2025 season, the Clarke University men's volleyball team was unable to get one last win on their home floor in a 3-1 loss to Morningside University on Saturday afternoon.

After struggling early in the first set but continuing to fight to get within three points late to the 25-21 loss, the Pride would take that late first set momentum into the second to a 25-22 set win to tie the match but were unable to close out third and fourth sets where they led early to fall 25-21 and 25-16 for the Mustangs victory.

Prior to the start of the match, the Pride honored their three seniors in middle blocker Zachary Barr, setter Kainoa Gerard, and opposite Justin Hernandez as that trio would all produce productive days with Gerard leading the team with 21 assists, Barr producing a match-high six total blocks, and Hernandez having one of three double digit point days for CU with 10.5 points on nine kills, an ace, and a block assist.

Outside of Barr's strong .429 hitting percentage on six kills with no errors, Clarke struggled from an offensive efficiency standpoint, hitting .123 as a team in the match compared to a .248 from Morningside led by a pair of double digit kills days over .300 from both Donte Jennings (13/.357) and Natan Alves (12/.304).

Tanner May led the Pride in kills with 10 as the outside hitting combination of Eduardo Hernandez and Anthony Ramirez had 15 kills but 16 errors on 48 swings with Noah Whalen and AJ Matsumoto having a team-high eight kills each and Benjamin Reiser added 16 assists splitting the rotation with Gerard.

Clarke men's volleyball will play their final three matches of the season on the road, starting with a trip to Marshall, Mo. next Friday, Apr. 4 when they face Missouri Valley College for a 7:00 p.m. CT scheduled first serve against the Vikings.