Alliance, Ohio – Mount Union's men's volleyball program defeated Trine 3-1 in the second semifinal of the 2023 MCVL Tournament on Friday evening.

The hosts split the opening two sets with Trine before claiming tight victories in sets three and four to advance to the Championship Match for the second-straight season. UMU, the defending Tournament Champions, will be pitted against in-state and fellow Tri-Champion foe Baldwin Wallace for a berth in the 2023 NCAA Division III Men's Volleyball Championships. 

Mount Union won the opening set 25-21, but Trine battled back with a 25-22 win in set two. The Purple Raiders regained their momentum, however, with a 23-23 third set win before dispatching Trine 25-20 in the final frame. In total, Mount Union won the match by just eight cumulative points, a testament to back-and-forth play from both sides.

The Purple Raiders were led by Cam Ternent's 17 kills as the MCVL's Offensive Player of the Year attacked at a .368 clip. Will Heeney dished out a game-high 53 assists to facilitate the attack, which posted a .253 attack percentage to Trine's .161. 

For Trine, Ted Hofmeister led the way with 22 kills while Kevin Boncaro had 11 in support. Matt Stillman added six kills at a .273 clip. MCVL Defensive Player of the Year Hunter Haas finished with 15 digs to lead the defensive effort. 

Saturday's Championship Match is slated for a 4 p.m. ET first serve from Timken Gymnasium.