The Master’s University men’s volleyball team, now ranked No. 2 in the nation according to Wednesday’s NAIA Men’s Volleyball Top 15 poll, knocked off the No. 11 Saint Xavier (IL) Cougars 25-18, 25-22, 25-13 Wednesday night in The MacArthur Center.

The Mustangs (12-2, 2-1) hit .364 over the three sets and held the Cougars to just .101. TMU kept SXU off balance all night with a strong serve, collecting eight aces, an average of nearly three per set, on the night.

“Tonight was one of the best nights we have had serving from the enplane,” said TMU head coach Jared Goldberg. “We consistently put pressure on their serve receive and made stops defensively to keep their hitting percentage low.”

Patrick Paragas, the NAIA Setter of the Week this past week after he averaged 13.29 assists/set over two matches, led the Mustangs with three aces and totaled 34 assists (11.3/set). Braden Van Groningen led the team with 12 kills, followed by Cole Oliver with eight and Isaac Seltzer with seven.

“From the offensive side of things, Patrick Paragas did a great job running the offense and Braden Van Groningen had another very efficient night,” Goldberg said.

The Master’s fell to the No. 2 spot after losing to the Vanguard Lions in five sets on Feb. 24. The Lions, the defending national champions, have now moved into the nation’s top spot. Vanguard will be in The MacArthur Center on March 22 for the re-match.

The Mustangs won’t play again until Thursday, March 14 when they travel to Mesa, Ariz. to take on Benedictine. Game time is scheduled for 6 p.m.