HAMILTON, Ont. – The Mohawk Mountaineers men's volleyball team earned a hard-fought win in their home opener Saturday night, defeating the Redeemer Royals 3-2.

Redeemer held narrow leads throughout the opening set, and each time Mohawk closed the gap, the Royals pulled away again. The Mountaineers trailed 22-21 late but couldn't complete the comeback, dropping the set 25-22.

The second set began evenly at 2-2 before Mohawk rallied for six of the next eight points to take an 8-4 lead. With the score 15-11, the Mountaineers surged with 10 straight points to close out the set. Brecken Morrison (Stouffville, Ont.) led the charge with 10 strong serves during the run.

The third set was tightly contested, with the teams trading points until a 16-16 tie. Mohawk then scored three straight and maintained control to take the set 25-21 and a 2-1 match lead.

Redeemer responded in the fourth, earning a 25-21 win to force a deciding fifth set.

In the final frame, Mohawk held an 8-6 edge at the midway point before closing strong, taking seven of the next nine points to secure the set and the match.

Morrison finished with 14 kills, a team-high five service aces, and eight digs. Dean Zicari (Burlington, Ont.) led the Mountaineers with 16 kills, while Alex Jurak (St. Catharines, Ont.) added 13.

Mohawk will return to action Oct. 25 when they travel to Sudbury, Ont., to face the Cambrian Shield. First serve is scheduled for 1 p.m.