The Pepperdine men’s volleyball team started its 2026 season with a straight-set victory over Saint Thomas Aquinas at Firestone Fieldhouse. The Waves, now 1-0 for the season, defeated the Spartans (0-1) with set scores of 25-18, 25-17, and 25-12.
“It was great to start off our season with a win,” said head coach Jonathan Winder. “Our serving was really strong for a few stretches with Aidan Tune and Grant Lamoureux in different sets that opened up the games. All in all, pleased with the effort and focus of the group and ready to get prepared for Sunday’s game.”
In the first set, Pepperdine maintained a lead despite runs from St. Thomas Aquinas. Cole Hartke led the team with seven kills and a .700 hitting percentage as Pepperdine secured a 25-18 win.
During the second set, Pepperdine forced their opponent into negative hitting numbers. Ryan Barnett and Grant Lamoureux each contributed three kills on five attempts. Aidan Tune’s serving run helped establish a significant lead before Pepperdine closed out the set 25-17.
The third set saw Lamoureux deliver five aces while errors by St. Thomas Aquinas limited them to just 12 points. The Waves finished the match with a dominant 25-12 win.
Cole Hartke led offensively for Pepperdine, recording a .381 hitting percentage on 21 attempts. Lamoureux stood out at the service line with five aces. The Waves had only five errors compared to their opponents’ 18. Noé Matthey recorded three block assists and one solo block, while Andrej Polomac provided more than 85 percent of Pepperdine’s assists (26 total) and led in digs with five.
Several players made their debut appearances for Pepperdine: Zach Chapin—who also recorded an ace—Matthey, Polomac, Lamoureux, and Ford Harman.
Pepperdine will play its next home match against Daemen on Sunday at Firestone Fieldhouse at 2 p.m., which will be available via streaming on B1G+ (subscription required) and live stats at www.pepperdinewaves.com.
The program has won five NCAA National Championships—four under Hall of Fame coach Marv Dunphy—and reached the NCAA Final Four in head coach Jonathan Winder’s third season in charge in 2025.
Tickets for upcoming matches can be purchased online through the official website.
