COLUMBIA, S.C. – Ras Jesse Delancy had a record-setting game, recording a career-high 35 kills as the Benedict College men's volleyball team defeated Truett-McConnell 3-1 in a non-conference match in the 2023 season home opener on Tuesday night in the Benjamin E. Mays HRC Arena.
 
The Tigers defeated the Bears 25-19, 25-22, 24-26, 25-18 to improve to 3-0 on the season. Truett-McConnell falls to 1-4.
 
The 35 kills by Delancy ranks as the most in a NCAA match so far this season and ties the NCAA record for second-most kills ever in a four-set match. Paul Carroll of Pepperdine also had 35 kills in a four-set match against Penn State in 2009. Carroll also holds the NCAA record with 37 kills in a four-set match against UC Irvine in 2009.
 
He had 35 kills on 49 total attacks, and committed just two errors for a .673 hitting percentage. That hitting percentage is the fourth-best in the NCAA this season for a player with 20 or more attacks.
 
He had 11 kills on 14 attacks in the first set, then had eight kills on 10 attacks in the second set. He had another eight kills on 10 attacks in the third set, then finished with eight kills on 15 attacks, with two errors, in the fourth set.
 
Freshman Kendersley Marcellin had a season-high 35 assists. Clint Forbes had 20 digs. The Tigers served 10 service aces, with Delancy and Zion Beckford serving three aces each.
 
After taking the first two sets, the Tigers were on the verge of sweeping the match when they had a 22-19 lead. The Bears rallied by scoring seven of the final nine points to pull out the set victory.
 
Benedict returns to action with a home match against Reinhardt University on Feb. 22 at 6 p.m.