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Benedict outside attacker Ras Jesse Delancy and Fort Valley State outside attacker Isaiah Fedd combined for a single-match offensive performance unlike any other in NCAA men’s volleyball recent history.
Delancy and Fedd in Bendedict’s five-game victory against Fort Valley State on Friday became the first pair to have at least 30 kills in the same match since NCAA stats started tracking single-match men’s volleyball top performances in 2017.
Delancy finished with a match-high 36 kills on 83 attack attempts in the 25-22, 25-22, 24-26, 14-25, 21-19 conference victory, including leading all players with eight kills during the final game. The sophomore from the Bahamas also had three consecutive kills as part of a 5-0 run to help Benedict (8-6, 5-3 SIAC) overcome a 12-8 deficit in the fifth game and win in overtime.
Fedd led Fort Valley State (5-15, 2-2 SIAC) with 30 kills on a .429 attack percentage and had seven kills in three of the five games. The freshman in the fifth-game overtime had kills on two Benedict match-point opportunities and had an ace before committing an attack error to end the match.
This is the second time Fedd finished a match with at least 30 kills. Fedd had a season-high 33 kills in a five-game overtime loss to King in January.
Delancy entered this match leading the nation with a 5.51 kills per game average and has at least 30 kills three times this season. The outside attacker had 35 kills in a victory against Truett-McConnell in February and 33 kills in a four-game conference victory against Kentucky State.
Benedict with this victory moves into sole possession of third place in the SIAC and within two matches of first-place Edward Waters.
Fort Valley State drops into fourth place in the SIAC standings but has the most remaining conference matches of any team in the SIAC.