WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – The Bluefield University men's volleyball team split a pair of matches Friday at Williams Gymnasium, pushing nationally-ranked St. Thomas to five sets before earning a four-set victory over Warner later in the day.

In the opening match, the Rams battled #8 St. Thomas (FL) in a tightly contested five-set thriller before falling 3-2 (18-25, 25-23, 22-25, 25-22, 15-10).

Bluefield delivered one of its strongest offensive performances of the season, hitting .327 as a team with 49 kills on just 13 errors. Mason Lloyd was dominant, posting 23 kills on a .455 hitting percentage to go along with three service aces and seven digs. Kari Williams added 20 kills while hitting an impressive .471, and Richard Cisneros contributed four block assists at the net.

Benedict Somes directed the offense with 42 assists, helping the Rams claim sets two and four to force a decisive fifth. Despite the strong showing, St. Thomas closed out the match in the final frame.

Later in the day, BU bounced back with a 3-1 victory over Warner (25-19, 25-19, 20-25, 26-24).

The Rams hit .296 in the win and were especially efficient in the opening set, swinging at a .565 clip. Lloyd and Williams again led the way with 14 kills apiece, while Kemani Riley added eight kills and hit .300. Mamadou Dieng provided a spark in the middle with six kills and six block assists, and Cisneros added five kills on a .444 percentage.

Somes dished out 39 assists in the nightcap as Bluefield secured the split on the day.

The Rams return to the court Saturday at 5 p.m. in Winston-Salem to face Webber International.