Chargers Battle but Fall in Five-Set Thriller Against Holland
The Crandall Chargers came up just short in a tightly contested five-set match, falling 3–2 (28–26, 19–25, 25–19, 23–25, 16–14) to Holland on Friday afternoon at Crandall University.
The match featured momentum swings throughout, with both teams trading set wins and extending rallies deep into each frame. Crandall opened the contest by edging out the first set in extra points, but Holland responded by taking the second. The Chargers regained control in the third before Holland forced a decisive fifth set.
In the final frame, neither side led by more than two points, with Holland ultimately closing out the match 16–14 after a back-and-forth battle that went beyond the standard 15-point threshold.
Francois Benoit delivered a standout performance for the Chargers, leading all players with 22 kills on .545 hitting, while also adding four service aces and six digs for a match-high 27 points. Ben Brun added 13 kills and five digs, while Jack Hillier contributed 12 kills and three block assists. Connor Kirkland chipped in with seven kills and three block assists.
Setter Mico Guiao ran the offense with 40 assists, helping Crandall finish with 60 kills and a .293 team hitting percentage. Defensively, the Chargers totaled 39 digs and 14 block assists, consistently challenging Holland at the net.
Despite the result, Crandall showed resilience, depth, and high-level execution throughout one of the most competitive matches of the season.