1 / 4

BYU men's volleyball player Luke Benson (1) is introduced before the start of season opener against McKendree at the Smith Fieldhouse on Friday, Jan. 6, 2023.

Courtesy BYU Photo

2 / 4

The BYU men's volleyball team celebrates a point during a match against McKendree in the Smith Fieldhouse on Friday, Jan. 6, 2023.

Courtesy BYU Photo

3 / 4

(From left) BYU's Kupono Browne, Gavin Julien and Luke Benson attempt to block an attack by McKendree during a men's college volleyball match at the Smith Fieldhouse on Friday, Jan. 6, 2023.

Courtesy BYU Photo

4 / 4

BYU's Kupono Brown attacks against McKendree in a men's college volleyball match at the Smith Fieldhouse on Friday, Jan. 6, 2023.

❮ ❯

During a fantastically long rally in Set 2, where both teams made amazing, athletic plays to keep the ball alive, McKendree finally won the point on a kill from middle attacker Jacob Gale. The partisan BYU crowd, once they’d recovered from the excitement of the rally, applauded both sides for their effort.

Men’s college volleyball is back in the Smith Fieldhouse.

The Cougars — who begin the season outside the AVCA Top 15 for the first time in school history — earned a 3-0 sweep (25-20, 25-21, 25-20) against McKendree to open the 2023 season.

Miks Ramanis led BYU with 10 kills (.294) and Kupono Browne had nine kills (.389). In his debut as setter, Grand Canyon transfer Heath Hughes had 26 assists and led the Cougars to a .286 hitting percentage.

A large crowd took in the first match of the season, a good showing despite most of the school’s students still out for Christmas break (or stranded somewhere at an airport trying to get back).

“There was a lot for the guys to learn and grow from tonight,” BYU head coach Shawn Olmstead said. “We still need to play with a little more urgency, be more intentional with our first contact off blocks but we’ve been training better, we’ve been working better and I saw some really encouraging signs tonight.”

BYU got off to a 10-4 lead in Set 1 but McKendree rallied to close to within two at 14-12. Browne got a kill then spun three straight aces for a 19-13 Cougars advantage to regain control. At second set point, Browne tooled his shot off the block for a 25-20 BYU win.

Browne had five kills in five swings in Set 1 to go along with his three aces.

Set 2 was close as both teams started to click offensively. Luke Benson had a kill to end a long rally and Gavin Julien contributed a solo block to put BYU out in front for good at 15-13. The Cougars never led by more than four points but maintained the lead and got to set point on an ace from Benson. At second set point, a service error from the visitors gave the Cougars a 25-21 win and a 2-0 lead in the match.

BYU led Set 3 6-2 after a solo block from Benson but McKendree got right back into it and tied it up at 9-9 on a Cougar hitting error. The Cougars surged ahead with kills from Browne, Teon Taylor and Benson for a 14-11 lead. The run continued at Ramanis came out of the back row to score on an attack for a 20-14 BYU advantage. At third match point, a service error finished the evening with a 25-20 Cougar victory.

Last season BYU finished with a losing record for the first time since 1996. In preparation for the 2023 season, Ramanis said, “I think this season is going to be really fun. The guys are all bought in and we know what we can do. We’ re locked in and working hard. I have a bad habit of jinxing myself when I talk about expectations, but I will say I’m optimistic. I see a trend upwards.”

In an earlier match played at the Smith Fieldhouse, No. 8 UC Irvine lost the first set to No. 14 Lewis but recovered to win 3-1 (26-28, 28-26, 25-22, 25-23). Sani Francesco led the Anteaters with 22 kills and hit .588, with teammate Hilir Henno adding 18 kills (.452). The Flyers had four players in double figure kills, led by Max Roquet with 17 (.419).

BYU (1-0) takes on Lewis on Saturday at 7 p.m. MT in the Smith Fieldhouse, with UC Irvine and McKendree meeting at 4 p.m. MT.