Eutectics Open 2026 at the HOA Challenge Tournament

ST. LOUIS, MO. – The Eutectic men's volleyball team opened up the 2026 season on Friday with a 3-0 loss to the St. Ambrose University Fighting Bees (4-0) from Davenport, Iowa, on Day 1 of the Heart of America Challenge. The annual tournament is cohosted by UHSP and Missouri Baptist University on the last weekend of January with Heart of America Athletic Conference (Heart) teams taking on non-conference adversaries.  

MATCH HIGHLIGHTS:

St. Ambrose def UHSP 27-25, 25-22, 25-21

• The Eutectics stormed out of the gate, going up 4-1 to start the match after a couple of kills from Zachary Gavrick. The Purple and Gold maintained their intensity, knocking down 17 kills while hitting at .400 in in the set. But the Bees, who were coming off a straight-set victory over the Heart's Graceland University (0-5), fought back to take the set with extra points at 27-25.
• After a sluggish start to Set 2, the Eutectics tied it up at 10 apiece after a kill from Cooper Hansen (assisted by Gabriel Schneekloth). The teams traded the lead with six tie scores before SAU grabbed the lead at 18-17 and held it through the end of the set, winning 25-22.
• The UHSP team fell behind early in Set 3, but after a timeout at 13-7, they put together an 8-2 run, including kills from Gavrick and Grant Hoover along with blocks from Cameron Werner, Gavrick, Maxwell McVickers and Schneekloth to tie the score at 15-15. Down 18-17, the Bees scored five points in a row off two blocks, a kill, an ace, and a Eutectic error to go up 22-28 and take the wind of the home team's sails. The Bees took the set 25-21 to win the match.
• Grant Hoover racked up 12 kills on 22 attempts to average .455 on the night and lead the Eutectics on offense while also picking up seven digs. Cameron Werner knocked down six blocks, while setter Gabriel Schneekloth put up 30 assists. As a team the Euts recorded 14 block assists and three solo blocks.

NEXT UP:

The Eutectics will be back in action Saturday when they take on Brescia University at 1pm and Campbellsville University at 5pm back in the UHSP gym for Day 2 of the HOA Challenge tournament.