Yerington, Schneider Grab All-Independent Team Honors
By Tom McDermott, Sports Information Consultant, daemenwildcats.com
Thursday, April 2, 2020

AMHERST, N.Y. - Daemen College men's volleyball student-athletes Zach Yerington (Hamburg, N.Y.) and Zach Schneider (Lockport, N.Y.) have been named the 2020 Off the Block/Frisco Mo All-Independent Team.

The All-Independent Team recognizes the best players during the regular season from National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I-II men's volleyball teams that are competing without a conference affiliation. The seven independent teams this season were Daemen, Alderson Broaddus University, Lincoln Memorial University, St. Francis College—Brooklyn, Tusculum University, Queens University of Charlotte and Urbana University.

It marks the third year that Off The Block has presented an All-Independent Team. Yerington and Schneider join teammate Jahari Winkfield (Oswego, Ill.), a 2019 selection, as Daemen players to earn the honor within the program's first two seasons. Lincoln Memorial led all schools with four selections this year, while both Daemen and Urbana had multiple players make the team. Head coaches from the NCAA Division I-II men's volleyball teams comprised the voting committee for this award.

Yerington, a graduate student transfer who plays the opposite hitter position, led the Wildcats in kills per set (3.25) and ranked second in total kills (185) this season. He also totaled 71 digs and 27 blocks.

He registered double-digits in kills nine times this year. The highlight of his season came on February 9 when he led Daemen to a five-set win over nationally-ranked Lincoln Memorial University by putting down 36 kills—a total that ranked as the most for any Division I/II player in the country this season. That effort earned him Independent Team Player of the Week and National Opposite of the Week honors from Off the Block. He also totaled 18 kills in a 3-2 win over nationally-ranked Wells College on Feb. 14 and capped the season with 28 kills and 17 digs during wins over Urbana and St. Francis Brooklyn the weekend of March 6-7. His performance against Urbana and St. Francis Brooklyn earned Yerington his second Independent Teams Player of the Week honor from Off The Block.

Schneider, a freshman outside hitter, is one of four freshmen named to the All-Independent Team. He led the Wildcats in total kills (196) and ranked second to Yerington in kills per set (3.16). He also led the team in service aces (23) and total digs (95) and ranked second in total blocks (30).

He registered double-digits in kills a team-high 12 times this year. He posted a season-high 19 kills with just one attack error during a 3-1 win at Urbana on Feb. 9 and followed up with 14 kills and four aces in the upset win over Lincoln Memorial later that day. Just five days later he would help the Wildcats go undefeated during the Wells Classic Tournament by posting 37 kills during wins over Wells and Penn State Altoona.

Daemen posted a seven-match winning streak during the year and won 12 of its first 19 matches before the remainder of the season was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic. The 12 wins were twice as many as the team posted in its inaugural season last year, when the Wildcats finished 6-17.

CALVIN CROSBY TO LEAD HILBERT MEN'S & WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL PROGRAMS
amccsports.org
Tuesday, March 31, 2020

Hilbert College Athletic Director Megan Valentine is excited to introduce Calvin Crosby as the Hawks' first full time head coach for both the men's and women's volleyball programs with additional duties as the athletic department's Camps and Clinics Coordinator. 

Coach Crosby immediately takes over the reins of the women's volleyball program, and he will reignite the men's volleyball program that has been on hiatus since the 2017 season. 

Since 2017, he has guided the Niagara County Volleyball Club's 16-2's and 15-2's girls teams while, at the same time, coaching the 18-1's and 18-2's boys in the Lockport Volleyball Club. In both the 2018 and 2019 seasons, Crosby was a member of the Starpoint High School coaching staff which steered the Spartans to 20 wins spanning 2018 and 2019. Previously, Crosby served as an assistant men's volleyball coach at Medaille College (2018-2019 seasons). His teaching and coaching, in addition to the administrative work at both clubs and collegiate levels will shorten the learning curve expected with a rookie collegiate coach.

Crosby received numerous athletic and academic honors in both the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) and North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) as a student-athlete. The 6-7 Right Side was voted to the NEAC All-Conference First Team and was named the AMCC Co-Player of the Year in 2017. He was a 3x AMCC All-Conference player earning First Team accolades in 2015 & 2017 and a Second Team honor in 2016. The Pendleton, N.Y. native helped the Medaille Mavericks post back-to-back NEAC regular season and championship titles (2015 & 2016). Crosby, a 2016 Chi Alpha Sigma National Student-Athlete Academic Honor Society inductee, earned AMCC Academic All-Conference recognition all four years, Peak Performer status the last three years and was named a NEAC Scholar-Athlete twice. 

Crosby graduated from Medaille College in 2017 with a degree in education and most recently served as a special education teacher for Niagara Falls High School.

Pauline Earns First All-Conference Selection
Junior led Mavs in kills with 140
medaillesports.com
Tuesday, March 31, 2020

BOSTON, NY - The Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Confernece released the All-Conference selections for the 2019-20 Men's Volleyball seaosn on Tuesday. The Mavericks had one selection being Chris Pauline Jr. (North Tonawanda, NY, North Tonawanda), making his first appearance to the list in his career. 

The North Tonawanda native broke out during his junior year, leading the Mavs in kills with (140). He totaled (167.5) points and was tenth in the AMCC in kills per set with (2.33). 

Pauline was lights-out when he was at the top of his game. His best performance came against Nichols College on January 25th where he amassed (18) kills.

Ctvrtlik, Schoenfeld, Howard Named to All-EIVA Teams, Eight Earn All-Academic Honors
gocrimson.com
Tuesday, March 31, 2020

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Senior captains Matthew Ctvrtlik and Chase Howard, and sophomore Campbell Schoenfeld, earned All-EIVA honors for the 2020 season, the conference announced today, March 31.

This marks the second-straight year that Ctvrtlik was named First Team All-EIVA. The setter earned EIVA Offensive Player of the Week honors earlier in the season and leads the team in assists with 535 and in assists per set with a 9.91 average through 15 matches. During the 2020 season, Ctvrtlik set a new career high with 52 assists at No. 13 George Mason on Feb. 14. The Newport Beach, Calif. native finished 14th in the nation and third in the EIVA with his assists total.

Schoenfeld earned his first Second Team All-EIVA honor this season after totaling 197 kills and 3.58 kills per set in 15 matches. Against No. 13 George Mason on Feb. 14, the outside hitter set two new career highs, totaling 23 kills and 54 attacks. The sophomore leads the team in kills, while also ranking third in the EIVA. Schoenfeld's 8.65 attacks per set average is the 12th best in the nation.

Earning All-EIVA honorable mention is Chase Howard, his first All-EIVA honor of his career. The libero finished the season with 121 digs and a 2.52 digs per set average, ranking him fourth and second in the EIVA, respectively. The Virginia Beach, Va. native earned EIVA Defensive Player of the Week honors earlier in the season and also ranks fifth in digs per set in the NCAA.

Additionally, seven members of the Crimson were named to the EIVA All-Academic Team. Seniors Jack Connolly, Matthew Ctvrtlik and Marty Heavey, junior Adam Gordon and sophomores Eric Li, Campbell Schoenfeld, Buddy Scott and Jason Shen all earned the honor by posting a cumulative GPA of 3.30 or higher.

2020 EIVA All-Academic Team Includes Program Record Six Nittany Lions
Mende wins award for fourth time; Bantle and Smith two-time honorees; Three first time winners
gopsusports.com
Tuesday, March 31, 2020

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Six Penn State men's volleyball student athletes were honored on the 2020 EIVA All-Academic Team as announced by the league during its postseason awards releases Tuesday afternoon.

Redshirt seniors Calvin Mende and Jason Donorovich, senior Nathan Smith, redshirt junior Kyle Mackiewicz, redshirt sophomore Will Bantle, and sophomore Brett Wildman were all recognized by the league for their outstanding grade-point averages for the 2019 fall semester.

Penn State's six recipients are the most in program history since the beginning of the award in 2001. The format for the award changed in 2019, which waived on-court participation requirements. 

The all-academic team historically recognizes league student-athletes that achieve a GPA of 3.3 or better during the academic schedule of the calendar season. Due to the shortened 2020 season with public concern for the COVID-19 coronavirus, the league changed the award to recognize those with the same GPA requirement in the 2019 fall semester with at least sophomore eligibility.

Mende is now a four-time member of the All-Academic Team dating back to 2017. Bantle and Smith appeared on the team for the second year in a row while Donorovich, Mackiewicz, and Wildman made the team for the first time.

The list below includes each student-athletes' GPA and major:

Calvin Mende: Redshirt Senior, Redlands Calif.
4.0 GPA – Security & Risk Analysis

Jason Donorovich: Redshirt Senior, Lockport, N.Y.
3.42 GPA – Recreation, Park & Tourism Management

Nathan Smith: Senior, Los Altos, Calif.
3.96 GPA – Biology

Kyle Mackiewicz: Redshirt Junior, Edison, N.J.
3.46 GPA – Recreation, Park & Tourism Management

Will Bantle: Redshirt Sophomore, Pacific Palisades, Calif.
3.65 GPA – Advertising

Brett Wildman: Sophomore, Virginia Beach, Va.
3.33 GPA – Security & Risk Analysis

Fisher, Blair garner All-EIVA honors
sfuathletics.com
Monday, March 30, 2020

Loretto, Pa. - Redshirt senior outside hitter Michael Fisher (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley) became a three-time All-EIVA performer on Tuesday, landing on the First Team for the second time in his career. A First Team All-EIVA selection in 2019 as well, Fisher led the league in kills (251) and kills per set (3.92) before the season was ended prematurely because of the coronavirus. Fisher was named EIVA Offensive Player of the Week on Jan. 13 after his career-high 29 kills helped Saint Francis take down No. 7 Stanford to open the season. Fisher ends his career just 59 career kills shy of 1,000. His career hitting pct. of .261 is fifth-best in program history.

Redshirt sophomore middle blocker Joshua Blair (Matterson. Illnois/Marian Catholic) also earned All-EIVA accolades, garnering honorable mention recognition. Blair emerged as one of SFU's top attacking threats in 2020, finishing third on the team with 88 kills and second on the team with 28 total blocks.

Five individuals landed on the EIVA All-Academic Team. To be eligible, the student-athlete needed a cumulative gpa above a 3.0 and could not be a freshman. Redshirt senior Joseph Koszelak (North Tonawanda, N.Y./St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute), redshirt junior Jason Najm (West Seneca, N.Y./West Seneca East), juniors Ryan Alu (Pipersville, PA/Central Bucks West) and Roman Szwabinsky (Columbus, Ohio/Westerville South) and redshirt freshman A.J. Schmidt represented the Red Flash on the All-Academic Team.

Saint Francis was 5-13 overall and 2-5 in EIVA play before the season was cut short.

Marymount thanks its Seniors
marymountsaints.com
Friday, March 13, 2020

Never thought we wouldn’t have the chance to fully celebrate these two. Joe Zanelotti and Sam Safley committed to this team on every front. Joe finishes his career picking up the last CVC player of the week as he led our offense the past two years as our setter (finishing 1st in career aces and 2nd in assists). Sam finishes his career with 990 kills, second all time in program history. Thanks Sam and Joe for your dedication to this program. You’ve put us in a better place and we welcome you to our alumni family!

Thank you seniors: All of the players whose college careers ended today
Jonathan Bates (Off the Block Associate Editor), offtheblockblog.com
Thursday, March 12, 2020

It’s easy to focus on the disappointments that today brought with the suspension of at least three conference’s men’s volleyball seasons and the cancellation of the 2020 NCAA Tournament. It’s also easy to feel upset that your team won’t win the NCAA tournament this year. The coaches will move on eventually, but our heart goes out to the class of 2020 whose senior season was cut short. Below is a list of 136 seniors and graduate students who have toiled for their respective programs. To them, many of them all-conference or even All-Americans, we salute them and thank them for all of the memories. Special thanks to Pepperdine coach David Hunt for the idea to honor the great group of kids who lost out what should have been a special season.

MPSF

BYU
Setter – Wil Stanley
Outside attacker – Andrew Lincoln 
Middle attacker – Miki Jauhiainen
Outside attacker – Cyrus Fa’alogo
Outside attacker – Zach Eschenberg

Concordia-Irvine
Outside attacker – Raymond Barsemian
Outside attacker – Parker Maki
Outside attacker/Opposite – Darcy Taig
Outside attacker – Jordan Hoppe

Grand Canyon
Outside attacker – Jack Burton
Middle attacker – Caleb Blazer

Pepperdine
Outside attacker – Noah Dyer
Setter – Rob Mullahey

Stanford
Setter – Paul Bischoff
Outside attacker – Eric Beatty
Middle attacker – Stephen Moye
Opposite – Eli Wopat

UCLA
Middle attacker – Matt Younggren
Middle attacker – Daenan Gyimah
Outside attacker – Austin Matautia

USC
Middle attacker – Vecas Lewin

Big West

CSUN
Outside attacker – Ksawery Tomsia

Hawai’i
Opposite – Rado Parapunov
Outside attacker – James Anastassiades
Middle attacker – Patrick Gasman
Outside attacker – Colton Cowell

Long Beach State
Setter – Gary Trejo

UC Irvine
Middle attacker – Scott Stadick
Outside attacker – JB Kam

UC San Diego
Libero – Ryan Lew
Setter – Connor Walbrecht

UC Santa Barbara
Outside attacker – Randy DeWeese
Opposite – Spencer Fredrick
Middle attacker – Brandon Hopper
Outside attacker – Roy McFarland
Setter – Casey McGarry
Opposite – Keenan Sanders
Libero – Grady Yould

MIVA

Ball State
Libero – Nick LaVanchy
Outside attacker – Blake Reardon
Middle attacker – Nate Amos
Setter – Jake Romano
Outside attacker – Matt Szews
Setter – Courtland Scharenborg

Lewis
Setter – Ryan Van Loo
Outside attacker – Kyle Bugée
Outside attacker – Ryan Coenen
Utility – Jacob Kerschner
Outside attacker – Dalen Instenes

Lindenwood
Middle attacker – Sam Schindler 
Outside attacker – Nick Stevenson
Opposite – Charley Hlavin
Outside attacker – Michael Jennings 

Loyola
Libero – Jake Freeman
Middle attacker – Kyle Piekarski
Opposite – Kyler Kotsakis
Setter – Ian Cowen

McKendree
Opposite – Zach Schnittker
Middle attacker – Lucas Galifos

Ohio State
Middle attacker – Jamie Wolmering
Setter – Andrew Hillman
Outside attacker – Shawn Hughes
Outside attacker – Reese Devilbiss
Outside attacker – Kyle Skinner

Purdue Fort Wayne
Middle attacker – Richie Diedric
Outside attacker – Pelegrin Vargas

Quincy
Setter – Yoran Raymaekers
Middle attacker – Blake Sprecher
Opposite – Omari Wheeler

EIVA
Charleston
Middle attacker – Adriel Roberts

George Mason
Outside attacker – Sam Greenslade
Opposite – Hayden Wagner
Outside attacker/Libero – Christopher Allen
Middle attacker – Bryce Gatling

Saint Francis 
Setter – BJ Blair
Setter – Joseph Koszelak
Outside attacker – Michael Fisher
Outside attacker – Gabe Woffindin
Middle attcker – Cole Carver
Opposite – Christian Graziano

NJIT 
Opposite – Piotr Namiotko
Outside attacker – Christopher Costantino
Libero – Parker Lui
Middle attacker – Luca Berger

Penn State
Setter – Luke Braswell
Middle attacker – Jason Donorovich
Opposite – Calvin Mende
Outside attacker – Henrik Falck Lauten
Setter – Nathan Smith

Princeton 
Opposite/Middle attacker – George Huhmann
Outside attacker – Greg Luck
Outside attacker – Parker Dixon

Harvard 
Libero – Jack Connolly
Setter – Matthew Ctvrtlik
Middle attacker – Marty Heavey
Libero/Outside Hitter – Chase Howard

Sacred Heart 
Setter – Ramiro Balaguer
Libero – Timothy McIntosh
Outside attacker – Connor Mahony
Outside attacker – Calin Butler
Middle attacker – Rob Chatterton

ConfCarolinas

Barton
Libero – Tim Wiese
Libero/Setter – Ben Kasun
Middle attacker – Absalon Williams
Opposite – Angelos Mandilaris
Setter – Oscar Fiorentino

Belmont Abbey
Outside attacker – Carter Eck
Outside attacker – Liam Maxwell
Outside attacker – Pierce Pliapol
Setter – Bryce Sullivan

Emmanuel
Outside attacker – Aleksa Lakic
Middle attacker – Don Thompson
Opposite – Alex Zayas

Erskine
Libero – Gary Aromin
Opposite – Griffin Spence

King
Opposite – Julian Young

Lees-McRae 
Utility – Chris Woolslayer

Limestone 
Outside attacker/Middle attacker -Andrew Holman

Mount Olive 
Setter – Shane Yeo
Middle attacker – Yigit Erkek
Opposite – Jesiah Orr

North Greenville 
Setter – Jake Boldog
Outside attacker – Jackson Gilbert
Middle attacker – Ben Hamsho

Independents

Alderson Broaddus
Outside attacker – Jose Ramirez
Libero – Chase Doyle

Daemen
Opposite – Zach Yerington

Lincoln Memorial
Outside attacker – NyJaee Washington
Middle attacker – Pedro Carvalho
Middle attacker/Opposite – Randy Rivera
Opposite – Evan Cory

St. Francis Brooklyn
Libero – Matin Alamzai

Tusculum
Setter – Peter Stewart

Urbana
Matt Wheeler

Division III Administrative Committee decisions
ncaa.com
Friday, March 13, 2020

NCAA cancels remaining winter and spring championships due to Coronavirus concerns
ncaa.com
Thursday, March 12, 2020

NCAA released the following statement Thursday, cancelling all remaining winter and spring championships for 2020:

Today, NCAA President Mark Emmert and the Board of Governors canceled the Division I men’s and women’s 2020 basketball tournaments, as well as all remaining winter and spring NCAA championships. This decision is based on the evolving COVID-19 public health threat, our ability to ensure the events do not contribute to spread of the pandemic, and the impracticality of hosting such events at any time during this academic year given ongoing decisions by other entities.

Hot-Hitting UCSD Takes Down No. 10 PSU Men's Volleyball
gopsusports.com
Wednesday, March 11, 2020

LA JOLLA, Calif. – The No. 10 Penn State men's volleyball team ran into a hot-hitting UC San Diego team and lost its ranked nonconference match 3-0 (25-16, 25-21, 25-21) Wednesday evening.

Penn State (11-8) had another tough night offensively with a .092 team hitting percentage, but Brett Wildman led the team with 10 kills at a .319 clip and two aces.

Meanwhile, the sixth-ranked Tritons (13-5) hit .315, including a .407 mark in the second set, and also had 11.0-4.0 edge in total blocks.

HOW IT HAPPENED

The first run of the game went UCSD's way when the Tritons scored six in a row on a spurt that included three kills, a block, and an ace to lead 13-7 in set one.

A kill from Jason Donorovich on an overpass quickly followed by a Cal Fisher ace brought PSU back within as close as three, but the Tritons immediately sprung back to re-extend the lead to six at 17-11 and force Penn State's second timeout of the set.

UCSD gradually widened its advantage from six to a set-ending nine to win the first game, 25-16.

The Tritons continued their run in the second set by speeding out to a 12-6 advantage as the Nittany Lions struggled to find an offensive groove.

Penn State shrunk the margin to four with a kill by Luke Braswell, a block by Braswell and Donorovich, and a Wildman ace to make it 14-10, but the Tritons would cruise from there until set point when Penn State rattled off four in a row to make it 24-21. After a UCSD timeout, the Tritons finished the second 25-21.

The third set looked to be more of the same as the Tritons led early, but the Nittany Lions made some substitutions that sparked the offense. Braswell had an ace, followed by a block from Canyon Tuman and Calvin Mende to tie the set 13-13. The margin remained close until UCSD scored three-straight points to lead 19-16.

Penn State pulled within two as late as 23-21 in the set, but UCSD notched the last two points to clinch the third set and the match.

NOTABLE STATS

Brett Wildman's 10-kill performance was his 15th match with 10-or-more kills this season and his third in the last four outings.

After Wildman, four Nittany Lions had three kills each: Cal Fisher, Henrik Falck Lauten, Bobby Wilden, and Calvin Mende.

Luke Braswell entered in the second set as the primary setter and led the team with 15 assists.

NEXT UP

The Nittany Lions head to also-sixth-ranked UC Irvine for another ranked nonconference showdown Friday evening at 7 p.m. PT (10 p.m. ET).

Arcadia Men's Volleyball Edges out Alvernia in Five Sets
arcadiaknights.com
Wednesday, March 11, 2020

GLENSIDE, Pa. - The Arcadia University men's volleyball team edged out Alvernia University, 3-2, in a pivotal conference victory on Wednesday night. Quinn Baily led the Knights with season-highs in kills (18) and digs (17), while Dan Paraskevov and Austin Braas had 16 and 12 kills, respectively. A senior, Braas had a game-high .474 hitting percentage to go along with a team-best four blocks.

HOW IT HAPPENED

- Alvernia opened the first set on a 7-1 run to put the Knights on their heels. The Knights answered back midway through the set with a 5-1 run to pull within two points. With their backs against the wall, Arcadia rallied for five-straight points to take their first lead, 25-24. Braas opened the rally with consecutive kills, while Jason Manley put the Knights ahead with a service ace. However, the Golden Wolves answered with the next three points to end the set.

- Arcadia put together a 7-1 run to pull ahead of the Golden Wolves, 18-11, in the second set. Alvernia then answered with five-straight points to put pressure on the Knights. However, the Knights put together another 7-1 rally to end the set, 25-17. Paraskevov had two kills during the stretch, while Baily and Manley each tallied one kill. 

- The Knights took the third set to take a 2-1 advantage over Alvernia. After the Golden Wolves opened with an 11-7 lead, the Knights fought back into the game with a 7-2 run to regain the lead. Arcadia ended the stanza strong with a 10-2 run to put the Wolves on the brink of defeat. Dylan Zimmerman ended the set with a service ace, while Baily had three kills during the Knights 10-2 push.

- The Golden Wolves forced the match to a fifth set after a late surge to capture the forth stanza. Both squads were evenly matched the entire way, before Alvernia rallied off five unanswered points to end the set. 

- After the Knights pulled ahead to a 6-3 lead in the final set, Alvernia rallied for six unanswered points to take a 9-6 lead. The Knights then responded with a 4-1 run to tie the game, 10-10. After both teams exchanged points, Paraskevov and Baily ended the match with consecutive kills to claim victory for the Knights, 15-13. 

KNIGHT LEADERS

- Kills: Baily 18, Paraskevov 16, Braas 12
- Aces: Manley 3
- Blocks: Braas 4, Manley 3
- Assists: Devantier 50
- Digs: Baily 17

UP NEXT

Arcadia (11-10, 3-2) returns to action at Marymount on March 20 at 4:00 PM.

Martin Hackford Breaks Program Record with 8 Aces as No. 9 Men's Volleyball Thrashes Elmira
athletics.sjfc.edu
Wednesday, March 11, 2020

PITTSFORD, N.Y. – The St. John Fisher College men's volleyball team won in straight-sets (25-18, 25-15, 25-8) over the Elmira College Soaring Eagles in a United Volleyball Conference matchup at Manning and Napier Varsity Gymnasium on Wednesday night. With the win, Fisher improves to 15-4 overall and 3-1 in conference play. 

The Cardinals, ranked ninth in the NVA/AVCA Division III Coaches Poll, were led by junior Martin Hackford who tallied a program-record eight service aces in the match. The Orchard Park native entered tonight leading the UVC in aces per set. 

Josh Bigford had a game-high 11 kills while hitting .455 in the match. Paul Hackford led all players with 30 assists and seven digs. Eric Bentivegna had a strong performance with tying a career-high seven total blocks and adding seven kills. 

Martin Hackford's career-night started off right with four aces in an early 6-0 run that put Fisher up 7-4. The Cardinals ran away with the rest of the set to win by seven. 

Fisher went on a seven-point run early in the second stanza with Martin Hackford serving that made it an 8-2 game in favor of the home team. Elmira was able to cut the deficit to four but not any closer as the Cardinals kept pushing ahead. A 6-1 run for Fisher closed out the set. 

Matt Beiter stepped up to the service line to start the third set. The freshman led a six-point onslaught to put the Cardinals in the driver's seat. Another six-point swing with three more aces coming from Martin Hackford gave Fisher a 14-2 advantage. The Cardinals coasted the rest of the way with eight of the final nine points to close the book on the night. 

As a team, Fisher had 12 aces in the match. This was the third-straight victory for the Cardinals against the Soaring Eagles. Martin Hackford earned eight kills and four to go along with his monster service day. Matt Broderick posted seven kills and four digs. 

Next on the schedule for the Cardinals is the Battle of the Beaks as they head to Nazareth College for a conference tilt next Wednesday at 7 p.m.

Zanelotti earns first-career CVC Player of the Week
marymountsaints.com
Monday, March 9, 2020

ARLINGTON, Va. – Marymount University men's volleyball senior Joseph Zanelotti was named the Continental Volleyball Conference Player of the Week for the first time in his career, the league announced on Monday.

The Saints picked up three wins, last week, and Zanelotti helped the team in two 3-0 sweeps over Randolph-Macon College and No. 4 Dominican University.

He tallied 34 assists in each match, totaling 68 for the week, while also notching four kills, four blocks, five digs, and two service aces.

He came up with multiple big plays against Dominican, as the Saints downed the previously-unbeaten team, on Sunday. His solo block in the second set capped a 4-0 run that gave Marymount the lead, after trailing 23-20.

Zanelotti averaged 11.33 assists per set for the week, while helping the team post a season-high .370 hitting percentage against the Yellow Jackets.

The Saints will be back in action on Tuesday, March 17 at the Converse Family Fieldhouse, playing host to CVC-foe Southern Virginia University; the match is set for 7 p.m.

To view the full CVC release, click here.

Daemen opposite named Frisco Mo, OTB Independent Teams Player of Week
offtheblockblog.com
Monday, March 9, 2020

Photo courtesy of Daemen athletics

Opposite Zach Yerington is earning a college men’s volleyball honor after leading Daemen to two victories during the weekend.

Off the Block announced Monday that Yerington was selected as the Off the Block/Frisco Mo Independent Teams Player of the Week.

Yerington finished with both a match-high 14 kills on a .333 attack percentage and eight digs in a sweep against Urbana on Friday. He also had 14 kills while hitting .400 and a match-high nine digs in a sweep versus St. Francis Brooklyn on Saturday.

This is the second time this season that Yerington has won the Independent Teams Player of the Week.

The Independent Teams Player of the Week recognizes the best player during the week from NCAA Division I-II men’s volleyball teams that are competing without a conference affiliation.

The seven independent teams this season are Alderson Broaddus, Daemen, Lincoln Memorial, Queens, St. Francis-Brooklyn, Tusculum and Urbana.

Off the Block determines the Independent Teams Player of the Week based on a variety of factors, including a player’s individual performance and how a player’s team fared during the week.

The winner of the Independent Teams Player of the Week is unveiled every Monday during the regular season on the Off the Block website, offtheblockblog.com.

Off the Block is a national award winning website that started in 2011 and is the nation’s leader in college men’s volleyball coverage.

Frisco Mo is an online store committed to producing volleyball apparel and decor that is unique and emphasizes the fun of volleyball.

CVC Player of the Week - Joseph Zanelotti
thecvc.org
Monday, March 9, 2020

Joseph Zanelotti, Marymount University

Joseph Zanelotti is the Continental Volleyball Conference Player of the Week after helping the Saints extend their winning streak to four with two wins last week over Randolph-Macon and #4 ranked Dominican. Zanelotti, a senior setter, put up 34 assists in both of his team's three-set victories last week, averaging 11.33 assists per set. The Saints hit .370 as a team against Randolph-Macon, their 4th highest mark this season. He added five digs, four kills, and four total blocks on the week as well; including a solo block in the second set against Dominican that sparked the win after trailing 23-20 in the set.

Saints hand No. 4 Dominican first loss of the season
marymountsaints.com
Sunday, March 8, 2020

ARLINGTON, Va. – The Marymount University men's volleyball team handed No. 4 Dominican (Ill.) University its first loss of the season, in a 3-0 sweep, on Sunday afternoon at the Converse Family Fieldhouse.

The Saints closed out hard-fought battles in each set, winning all three by the score of 25-23.

Kills from senior Sam Safley and sophomore Miles Olson put the first points on the board in the first set for a 2-0 lead.

The teams traded small runs through the first set, which saw five lead changes, until the Stars took a 15-14 edge. Olson put down another kill, starting a 3-0 spurt that was capped by a service ace from freshman Hayden Kerekes, to take the lead for good, 17-15.

Sophomore Ervin Harrell put down two kills in the final points to earn the first-set win.

Marymount took another early lead in the second set, with two kills, each, from Harrell and Safley, led the way to a 6-3 advantage.

The Saints held the lead to 14-11, on a service ace by Kerekes, but the Stars responded with a 4-0 run.

The teams continued to battle, and Dominican looked to tie the match, with a 23-21, late, lead.

However, sophomore Jason Perkins and senior Joseph Zanelotti put down kills to tie the score, before Zanelotti got up for a big solo block to take the lead, 24-23, before taking the 2-0 match lead.

The Stars took the early lead in the third set, pushing it to 10-7, but a 7-2 run for the Saints took their first lead of the final frame.

Safley, Harrell, and Olson, all, tallied kills in the run, while Zanelotti and Kerekes teamed for a block to take a 14-12 edge.

Dominican stayed close, but the Saints would not give in the rest of the way. Safley added two-more kills, as the team took a 24-20 lead, looking to end the match.

The Stars fought back with three-straight points, but Harrell got up for one-last kill to put away the win.

Safley led the way with 11 kills, while Harrell added 10. Zanelotti dished out 34 assists, while sophomore Chris Manganiello led with 12 digs.

The Saints will now look to Tuesday, March 17, for their next game, hosting Southern Virginia University in a Continental Volleyball Conference matchup; the first serve is set for 7 p.m.

Wildcats Down Terriers, Post First Ever Win Over A Division I Program
Tom McDermott, Sports Information Consultant, daemenwildcats.com
Saturday, March 7, 2020

AMHERST, N.Y. - Freshman Zach Schneider (Lockport N.Y.) and graduate student Zach Yerington (Hamburg, N.Y.) accounted for 29 of the team's 42 kills, as the Daemen College men's volleyball team posted a 3-0 (25-20, 25-16, 32-30) victory over St. Francis College—Brooklyn today at Lumsden Gymnasium.

Daemen, a NCAA Division II independent, has now won 12 of its last 16 matches and improved to 12-7 overall. St. Francis-Brooklyn is a NCAA Division I independent and is in its first season as a varsity program. The Terriers, who posted a 3-1 win over Urbana University at Lumsden Gym earlier today, dropped to 5-10 on the year.

Today's win marked Daemen's first ever victory over a NCAA Division I program. The Wildcats entered the day 0-4 this season and 0-5 all-time against Division I opponents.

IMPACT PLAYERS

Schneider led the Wildcats in kills (15) and total attempts (28) and also contributed seven digs and a team-high four service aces.

Yerington posted 14 kills and 25 attempts and a .400 hitting percentage. He also racked up a team-high tied nine digs—which equaled his season high he registered during a 3-2 win at Wells College last month.

Freshman John Jaworski (Naperville, Ill.) added five kills, two aces and four digs, while sophomore Henry Moffitt (Sydney, Australia) also posted five kills and a team-high five blocks.

Sophomore Michael Krueger (Canonsburg, Pa.) posted a team-high 36 assists, while sophomore Ryan Beck (Pittsburgh, Pa.) registered five digs.

Freshman Johnny Ferraro posted a team-high nine kills for the Terriers, while classmate Bartlomiej Zielinski added eight kills, two blocks and four digs. Junior Derrick Truong dished out a team-high 23 assists and also posted a team-high eight digs for the visitors.

SET-BY-SET SUMMARY

Set One (DC 25, SFB 20) - Daemen held a 12-9 lead when the Wildcats took control with a 9-3 run. St. Francis-Brooklyn scored five of the next six points to cut the lead to five points (22-17), but a service error by the Terriers made the score 23-17 and the visitors came no closer than four points (24-20) after that.

Set Two (DC 25, SFB 16) - Set two was a tied at 14-14 when the Wildcats scored four of the next five points to take an 18-15 lead. The Terriers cut the lead to two points (18-16) following a Daemen service error, but the Wildcats closed out the set with seven unanswered points. Schneider had two kills and two aces during the set-ending run.

Set Three (DC 32, SFB 30) - Set three featured eight ties early on before the Wildcats put together a 6-1 run to take an 18-13 lead. The Daemen lead was 21-16 when the Terriers put together a late rally and eventually tied the set at 24-24. The Terriers had set point at 28-27, but the Wildcats got a kill from Yerington and service ace by Jaworski to take a 29-28 lead. The teams then traded points and the set was tied at 30-30 when Daemen secured the match following back-to-back errors by the Terriers.

MATCH NOTES

Daemen has already posted more wins this season than it did in its inaguarlai season last year. The Wildcats fielded a roster entirely of first-year college players last spring and closed out the year with a 6-17 record.

The Wildcats boast a 17-man roster this year, essentially doubling the amount of available bodies from a year ago. The roster includes eight returners and nine newcomers.

Schneider posted double-digit kills for the 12th time this season, while Yerington reached double digits in kills for the ninth time.

NEXT SERVE

Daemen is idle until March 21 when it takes part in a tri-match hosted by Elmira College.

Medaille Men's Volleyball Splits Saturday Double Header in Rochester
Shawn Barabaloto leads the Mavs with (16) points
medaillesports.com
Saturday, March 7, 2020

ROCHESTER, NY - The Men's Volleyball team traveled to Rochester to compete in two matches this afternoon. The Mavericks took on SUNY Potsdam in their first game, and familiar foe Nazareth in their second game.

The Mavericks split the day by defeating Potsdam and losing to Nazareth.

The blue and gold controlled nearly the whole game against Potsdam winning each set by at least seven or more points.

The first set was won by a score of (25-16), the second set was the closest of the match at (25-18), and the third was won by the widest margin at (25-14).

The second match up of the day was a different story for the blue and gold. They struggled to get their offense on the tracks against the Golden Flyers.

Nazareth took the first set by a score of (25-15). The second set, the Mavericks gave their best run and fell just short (25-22). The Golden Flyers took the third set by a score of (25-17).

Shawn Barbalato (Williamsville, NY, Williamsville South) was one of the best Maverick throughout the day accumulating (16) points through both matches. He had (11) kills, (1) service ace, and (6) total blocks.

Matt Dickerson (Lockport, NY, Starpoint) was also among the top performers for the Mavericks. Dickerson had (17) points, powered by (11) kills, (1) service ace, and (6) total blocks.

Nick Patterson (Amherst, NY, Amherst Central) rounded out the top Mavs today with (11) kills of his own and (4) more blocks for the blue and gold. 

The Mavericks will return to action on Wednesday, March 18th when they will host AMCC and Buffalo Cup rivals D'Youville at 7pm.

No. 7 SJF Men's Volleyball Dispatches No. 9 Endicott to Close Out Spring Trip
athletics.sjfc.edu
Saturday, March 7, 2020

BEVERLY, Mass. - The No. 7 ranked St. John Fisher College men's volleyball took down the No. 9 ranked Endicott College in four sets (20-25, 25-21, 25-19, 25-14) at the Gulls' MacDonald Gymnasium Saturday. The Cardinals earned their second top-10 win in the last eight days after defeating No. 1 NYU last Saturday. 

Fisher now improves to 14-4 on the season while Endicott drops to 13-3. The Cardinals hit .449 in the match, their second-highest hitting percentage in a match this season. Josh Bigford led all players with 20 kills. Matt Broderick hit a season-high .667 with 13 kills and Paul Hackford posted a game-high 43 assists. 

The Gulls won the opening set wire-to-wire and then took an a 5-2 lead to start the second frame. The Cardinals gained their composure and used a 5-0 run to earn a 17-11 advantage. Fisher stayed in control down the stretch and Martin Hackford buried a kill to tie the match at one a piece. In the second set alone, the Cardinals posted 20 kills. 

Endicott held an early edge in the third stanza, however, Fisher swung the momentum with a 5-1 run that was capped off by an ace from Matt Beiter to make it 8-6 in favor of the visitors. The Cardinals never trailed for the rest of the set as they used an 8-2 run to gain a larger lead. A service ace from Dylan Urbanski made it set point and the Cardinals won two points later to take a two-sets-to-one advantage. 

The Cardinals kept their foot on the gas pedal by going up 8-3 to start the fourth. At 15-9 with Bigford serving, Fisher scored five unanswered points with Bigford nailing down three aces. Urbanski set up Bigford for a kill to make it match point and Ivan Lopez put the final point away as Fisher finished its spring break trip with three victories. 

As a team, Fisher had 11 aces in the match with Bigford and Paul Hackford having three each. David Cerqua earned a game-high 10 digs. Lopez led all players with five total blocks. 

Fisher returns home to host Elmira College at 7 p.m. on Wednesday in a United Volleyball Conference matchup.

Men’s Volleyball Splits Final Day of Keuka College Invitational
keukaathletics.com
Saturday, March 7, 2020

KEUKA PARK, N.Y. — The Keuka College Men's Volleyball team split a pair of matches on Saturday at the JMW Recreation and Athletics Center to close the 2020 Keuka College Invitational.

Keuka College (7-8) dropped their opening match to Hiram College in five sets but closed with a four-set victory over the Sage Colleges.

Hiram College 3 at Keuka College 2 – 25-18, 25-14, 24-26, 19-25, 15-8

The Terriers jumped out to a quick two sets to none lead over the Wolves on Saturday thanks to and efficient attack. Hiram had 13 kills against just three errors in the opener and followed that with 14 kills and just one error in the second set as Hiram held the lead.

Keuka College fought to stay in the match. The third set came right down to the end. Tied 24-24, the Wolves got a point for the advantage. Marcus Davic hit an ace for the Wolves to close the third 26-24 in favor of Keuka.

The Green and Gold continued the momentum in the fourth. Keuka went on a run where the Wolves scored 10 of 11 points to take a 16-6 lead over the Terriers. Keuka closed out the fourth 25-19 to force a fifth and final set.

Hiram College pulled it out in the final set. The Wolves hit six errors in the set as Hiram took the fifth 15-8 to win the match.

Lead Wolf: Emmett O'Brien showcased an all-around game for the Wolves. The senior finished with eight kills, four aces, four digs, and five blocks against the Terriers.

Keuka College 3 vs. Sage Colleges 1 – 25-20, 25-16, 20-25, 25-20

Keuka College took a quick lead over the Gators, but Sage hung tough throughout the frame. Sage had more kills than Keuka in the first set, but also committed more errors. The lead changed hands twice in the set, but the Wolves pulled it out in the end, 25-20.

After a close start with the lead changing hands, Keuka College created separation midway through the set with an 8-0 run to build a 17-9 advantage. Keuka College took control to win the second 25-16 and push their lead to 2-0 in the match.

The Gators refused to go away as Sage took the early lead in the third and never gave it up. They won the third set 25-20 to extend the match.

Keuka College put it away in the fourth. It was a tight set with nine ties and four lead changes, but the Wolves were efficient. Keuka College had 13 kills in the fourth against just two errors. The final one came as Alex Boglev put it to the floor as Keuka won the fourth set 25-20 and the match 3-1.

Lead Wolf: Brad McKnight hit a career-best 21 kills to lead the Wolves against the Gators. The sophomore's effort tied for the second-most kills in a four-set match in program history.

KC Notes:

Keuka College improves to 3-3 all-time against Sage and falls to 1-2 all-time against Hiram

All three matches against Hiram in school history has gone five sets

The Wolves had their winning streak in the Keuka College Invitational snapped. Keuka is 19-3 all-time in their home tournament

Brad McKnight increased his career total to 355 kills, moving into sixth in the Keuka College record books

Alex Boglev moved to seventh on the career blocking list

Emmett O'Brien added to his five blocks in the first match with seven against Sage

Up Next for Keuka College: The Wolves are next in action on the road in North Eastern Athletic Conference play. Keuka College will play at Wilson College on Friday and then at nationally-ranked Lancaster Bible College on Saturday.

Wildcats Open Weekend Slate With 3-0 Win Over Urbana
Tom McDermott, Sports Information Consultant, daemenwildcats.com
Friday, March 6, 2020

AMHERST, N.Y. - The Daemen College men's volleyball team returned to winning form this evening with a 3-0 (25-21, 25-19, 25-18) victory over Urbana University tonight at Lumsden Gymnasium.

Both programs are NCAA Division II independents. Daemen snapped a two-match losing streak and improved to 11-7 overall. The Wildcats, who had their program-record seven-match winning streak snapped last weekend, have now won 11 of their last 15 matches. Daemen also remained perfect (4-0) against NCAA Division II independents this year. Urbana, which is in its first season as a varsity program, dropped to 1-17. It marked the second meeting of the year between the two programs. The Wildcats posted a 3-1 win at Urbana back on Feb. 9.

IMPACT PLAYERS

Graduate student Zach Yerington (Hamburg, N.Y.) posted a team-high 14 kills and 27 attempts for the Wildcats. He also tied for the team lead with eight digs—just one shy of his season high he registered during a 3-2 win at Wells College last month.

Freshman Zach Schneider (Lockport N.Y.) added 10 kills and 22 attempts. He also chipped in two aces, three blocks and six digs.

Sophomore Jahari Winkfield (Oswego, Ill.) contributed seven kills, just two attack errors and a hitting percentage of .556.

Sophomore Michael Krueger (Canonsburg, Pa.) posted a team-high 27 assists for the Wildcats. Freshman John Jaworski (Naperville, Ill.) recorded a season-high eight digs for the second-straight match and also registered two aces.

Freshman Tyler Chavez paced the hosts with 10 kills and a .381 hitting percentage, while fellow rookie Jack Brinkman added seven kills. Junior Chaz Hafer dished out a team-high 23 assists and also registered four digs.

SET-BY-SET SUMMARY

Set One (DC 25, UU 21) - Daemen trailed 4-2 early on, before registering five unanswered points to take a 7-4 lead. Urbana scored the next three points to tie the game at 7-7, but Daemen scored the next two and never trailed after that. The Wildcats held a 16-13 lead when the hosts took control with a 6-3 spurt. A kill by Yerington capped the rally and gave the Wildcats a 22-16 lead. Urbana battled and eventually cut the lead in half (23-20), but the teams then traded points before the hosts secured the set following a kill by Jaworski.

Set Two (DC 25, UU 19) - Set two was a back-and-forth affair early on that featured nine ties and no lead of more than two points for either side. The set was knotted at 14-14 when the Wildcats began to pull away. A 5-0 run that featured four errors by Urbana gave the hosts a 19-14 lead. The Daemen advantage was four points (21-17) when the hosts secured the win with a 4-2 run.

Set Three (DC 25, UU 18) - Both teams made runs early in set three before things evened out and they started trading points. Urbana held a 14-13 lead when the Wildcats ran off five unanswered points. Winkfield contributed two kills during the spurt, and a service ace by Jaworski capped it and gave Daemen an 18-14 lead. Urbana later cut the lead to two points (19-17), before back-to-back kills by Schneider and Yerington sparked a match-ending 6-1 run for the Wildcats.

MATCH NOTES

Daemen has already posted more wins this season than it did in its inaguarlai season last year. The Wildcats fielded a roster entirely of first-year college players last spring and closed out the year with a 6-17 record.

The Wildcats boast a 17-man roster this year, essentially doubling the amount of available bodies from a year ago. The roster includes eight returners and nine newcomers.

Schneider posted double-digit kills for the 11th time this season, while Yerington reached double digits in kills for the eighth time.

NEXT SERVE

Daemen returns to action to tomorrow (March 7) when it hosts St. Francis College—Brooklyn at 3 p.m.

D'Youville Men's Volleyball Wins First Home Match of Season over Potsdam
athletics.dyc.edu
Friday, March 6, 2020

Buffalo, NY - The D'Youville men's volleyball team won their first home match of the season on Friday evening as the men took down the visiting SUNY Potsdam Bears by the final score of 3-0.

The Spartans started off hot in the first set, getting out to an 8-2 lead over Potsdam. It would become a five-point game as the Bears trailed 10-15 and then a four-point game at 14-18, but D'Youville would go on to score the seven of the final eight points in the first to take the set 25-15.

D'Youville again had a strong showing the second, getting out to the same 8-2 lead. The lead for the Spartans then grew to double-digits at 13-3 and would not get lower than eight. Potsdam then fell behind by 11 at 10-21. By the time the Bears would bring their deficit down to single digits, it was too late as D'Youville would take the second set by the final of 25-17.

In the third, the Spartans started off well again with a 6-2 advantage. However, Potsdam would make a charge and tie the set at 7-7. D'Youville would begin to pull away, but the Bears would come right back and take the lead at 13-12. Tied at 16, the Spartans would go on a run to come close to winning the third, but the Bears would battle back to trail by one at 23-24. However, D'Youville would put the match away with one final point, winning the third 25-23 and the match 3-0.

Anthony Dean (Niagara Falls, NY/Niagara Falls) tallied a team-high 11 kills, followed by Dan Busha (Hamburg, NY/St. Francis) adding 10. Ali Khadra (Williamsville, NY/Williamsville East) recorded seven kills, four blocks, four digs, and two service aces.

Danny Steck (Lancaster, NY/St. Francis) tallied 12 digs to lead the team, adding six kills and three blocks. William Anderson (Lake View, NY/Frontier) had a team-high four service aces with Karl Jauch (Lockport, NY/Starpoint) tallied 28 assists with Mitch Mason (Eden, NY/Eden) coming up with eight digs. 

Joshua Hoy (Niagara Falls, NY/Niagara Falls) added two kills in the match with Troy Stancampiano (Williamsville, NY/Williamsville East) earning one. Juan Centeno (Williamsville, NY/Williamsville North) served well in the win.

D'Youville will next host an AMCC quad match on Saturday, March 21. The men will begin the day with a match against Geneva at 10:00am and end the day at 4:00pm against Hiram. Medaille will play Geneva and Hiram between the two D'Youville matches.

Wolves Open Home Invitational with Five-Set Win
keukaathletics.com
Friday, March 6, 2020

KEUKA PARK, N.Y. — The Keuka College Men's Volleyball team defeated Randolph-Macon College in five sets on Friday night in the 2020 Keuka College Invitational at the JMW Recreation and Athletics Center.

Keuka College (6-7) was led with a career-effort by Marcus Davic. The senior recorded 18 kills on the night and six blocks to lead the Wolves. Kamren Record had 43 assists and Seth Welker added a career-high 19 digs in the win.

Keuka College 3 vs. Randolph-Macon College 2 – 25-21, 19-25, 25-23, 17-25, 20-18

The Green and Gold took the lead early in the first set, extending it to 7-3. The Yellow Jackets shrunk the margin down to one 14-13, but the Wolves converted four straight to regain their advantage. A kill by Gavin Record ended the opener in favor of the Wolves 25-21.

After a tight start in the second, the Yellow Jackets took the lead over the Wolves. In total, there was four ties and three lead changes in the frame. With the score tied at 15-15, Randolph-Macon scored four unanswered. They carried that momentum to win the second set 25-19, levelling the match.

Randolph-Macon started the third with the serve and scored the first four points. The Green and Gold would be fighting from behind most of the set. Down 15-7, Keuka College scored eight straight points to tie the set. The third would remain close. Tied at 23-23, Randolph-Macon committed a service error. Alex Boglev had solo block to end the third 25-23 as Keuka College took a 2-1 lead in the match.

Another close set would begin in the fourth, but Randolph-Macon had a six-point rally midway through the set to build a 19-12 advantage. The Yellow Jackets saw the lead out as the won the fourth 25-17 to force a fifth and final set.

Randolph-Macon started on the advantage. The Yellow Jackets led early and forced the change-over at 8-4. Keuka came out of the switch with three straight to get back into the set. The Wolves later scored five in a row to tie the set at 13-13. After the Yellow Jackets took the lead, Marcus Davic tied it back up with a kill. Keuka College defended multiple set points. They would get the late advantage. On match point for Keuka, Kamren Record and Emmett O'Brien teamed up for a block as the Wolves won the fifth set 20-18 to win the match.

KC Notes:

Friday was the first ever meeting between Keuka College and Randolph-Macon College

The Wolves improve to 18-2 in the Keuka College Invitational. Keuka has won the last 12 matches in their home tournament

Davic led an attack that totaled 56 kills in the match, fifth-most in a five-set match in program history

Brad McKnight added to the attack with 12 kills against the Yellow Jackets

The Wolves played strong at the net with 14 blocks as a team. It tied for fourth-most in a five-set match. Leading the way for Keuka College was Marcus Davic and Emmett O'Brien. Each finished with six blocks in the match

Kamren Record tied his career-high in assists. He also tied for third for most assists in a five-set match in Keuka College Men's Volleyball history

Up Next for Keuka College: The Wolves will close out the 2020 Keuka College Invitational on Saturday with a pair of matches from the JMW Recreation and Athletics Center. Keuka will open the day with Hiram College at noon. The Wolves will then close this year's invitational with a 2pm match against the Sage Colleges.

Loyola Rallies To Stun Purdue Fort Wayne, 3-1
The Ramblers improve to 7-11 (4-4 MIVA) this season
loyolaramblers.com
Thursday, March 5, 2020

In Short

After falling in the first set, the Loyola University Chicago men's volleyball team made a huge come back, winning three straight sets to defeat the Purdue Fort Wayne Mastodons, 3-1. As a team, the Ramblers recorded season-highs in kills (64) and assists (63). Ian Cowen led the Ramblers with a career-high 56 assists, while Cole Schlothauer posted a double-double with 16 kills and 10 digs. Devin Joslyn also registered a double-double with a career-high 15 kills and 10 digs, while Jake Maffett added a career-high 15 kills.

How It Happened

Purdue Fort Wayne took an early 4-1 lead to start off the match, but Loyola stuck with them. Kyle Piekarski launched a kill from the middle to bring it within 7-5 before the Mastodons furthered their lead, eventually pulling away 13-8. Purdue Fort Wayne took their largest lead, 18-10, but Loyola was able to bring it to 19-14 after a Maffett/Andrew Lyons block. The Mastodons out-hit the Ramblers, .414 percent to .375 percent to win, 25-18.

In set two, Loyola took a 2-0 lead after a Maffett kill and a Mastodons attack error. After numerous ties, the Ramblers pulled ahead again, 8-6 after the Mastodons posted three straight errors. The Ramblers never trailed again, taking an 11-8 lead with back-to-back kills from Maffett and Joslyn. The Mastodons trailed 16-10 at one point, as Joslyn posted an ace. Purdue Fort Wayne deeply cut into the lead later on, coming as close as 23-22 before Loyola snagged the 25-23 win.

The teams reached 17 ties in the third set, taking it far into extra points. Neither team led by more than two points until Loyola took a 15-12 lead after four straight attack errors from the Mastodons, which included a solo block from Cowen. Loyola hit their best in set three, posting a whopping .500 attack percentage, compared to .229 from the Mastodons. After trailing for quite some time, Purdue Fort Wayne came back to tie 22-22. Both teams exchanged points from then on, moving it all the way to 32-32. The Ramblers won after a block from Cowen, Lyons and Schlothauer and an attack error by Purdue Fort Wayne for a 34-32 win.

In what would be the final set, Loyola started off with a 3-0 run to lead 3-1. The teams battled closely once again, but the Ramblers held on to a 7-5 lead as Piekarski posted two kills. After more kills from Schlothauer and Joslyn, Loyola took a 10-7 lead. The Mastodons fought their way back again, tying it five more times before Loyola pulled ahead at the very end to win, 25-21.

A Look At The Numbers

- Ian Cowen posted a career-high 56 assists.
- Cole Schlothauer added 16 kills and 10 digs.
- Jake Maffett registered a career-high 15 kills.
- Devin Joslyn tallied a career-high 15 kills and 10 digs.
- Tonight's match had 31 ties and 12 lead changes.

Up Next

The Maroon & Gold meet No. 5 Lewis again, this time hosting them at Gentile Arena on Friday, March 13 at 7 p.m.

Richie Diedrich has Career-High, But Mastodons Fall to Loyola Chicago 3-1
gomastodons.com
Thursday, March 5, 2020

FORT WAYNE, Ind. - Despite taking the opening set from the Ramblers, Purdue Fort Wayne men's volleyball dropped a Thursday night (March 5) match to Loyola Chicago 3-1 (18-25, 25-23, 34-32, 25-21).

Purdue Fort Wayne got off to a solid start, building a 12-7 lead in the opening frame to force a Loyola timeout. This came after Wilmer Hernandez and Richie Diedrich had three kills in four points. Diedrich finished with a career-high 15 kills, as the Mastodons were able to run a lot of offense through the middle. Between he and Tomas Gago, the Mastodons had 44 swings from middle blockers. Jon Diedrich finished off the opening set with kill to give the Mastodons an early 1-0 advantage. The 'Dons hit .414 in the first set.

The momentum started to shift to Loyola in the second set after an 8-2 run to push the Ramblers up 13-8. Purdue Fort Wayne responded with a timeout and a 5-0 stretch later on, spurred by a kill from Richie Diedrich and a block created by him and Hernandez. The Mastodons crept within one at 23-22, but Loyola took two of the last three on kills from Cole Schlothauer.

The third set was a marathon, going well into extra points. Runs back-and-forth were the story early on as Loyola built a 22-17 lead. The Mastodons went on a 6-0 run to go up 23-22, in which Jon Diedrich had a pair of aces (one coming on a rotation error from the Ramblers) and Pelegrin Vargas had three kills. Loyola went up one after that point 24-23, but Purdue Fort Wayne staved off a set point and took two in a row themselves: two straight kills by Vargas. The Ramblers responded with a kill from Kyle Piekarski, but Gago slammed down a kill of his own to give the 'Dons another set point opportunity. Loyola took two in a row to go up 27-26, and the two squads traded points back-and-forth until 32-all. Loyola took the final two points by forcing a triple block to stuff a Mastodon attack and Purdue Fort Wayne committing an unforced error. Vargas had 11 kills in the third set alone.

The Ramblers took advantage of the 2-1 edge, taking and holding a lead up to the media timeout at 15-13. Purdue Fort Wayne went on a 5-2 run to go up 18-17, but Loyola went on a 7-2 run of its own to close the match. Schlothauer had the two final kills of the night for the Ramblers.

Vargas finished with a team-high 22 kills and 10 digs for a double-double, while hitting .356. Richie Diedrich's career-high 15 kills was made on 22 swings for .545 hitting. The younger Diedrich notched 14 kills and Gago chipped in 12 on .455 hitting. Troy Gooch had 10 digs, while Frederico Santos dished out 50 assists to lead the Mastodons to .299 hitting.

Purdue Fort Wayne falls to 8-7, 3-5 MIVA, while Loyola Chicago improves to 7-11, 4-4 MIVA. The Mastodons will have a chance at a get-right game tomorrow night (March 6) when Sacred Heart visits Arnie Ball Court. The Pioneers have just one win in their last 10 matches, which came over North Park.

Medaille Men's Volleyball Defeats Buffalo Cup Rival D'Youville College
Nick Patterson dominates the Spartans with 12 kills
medaillesports.com
Wednesday, March 4, 2020

BUFFALO, NY - The Men's Volleyball team traveled across town to take on D'Youvillle in an AMCC and Buffalo Cup match up. Both the Mavs and Spartans went (0-2) in the recent quad match they took apart in just this past Saturday.

The Mavericks ultimately came out of the match victorious winning the match (3-1).

The Mavs took the first set (25-21), powered by a five point run to end things.

The blue and gold continued their momentum into the second set, winning the frame by a score of (25-17).

The Spartans answered with a set win of their own, D'Youville won by a score of (25-17).

The Mavs closed out the match in set number four by a commanding margin, winning (25-16).

Nick Patterson (Amherst, NY, Amherst Central) had himself quite the night, Patterson led the Mavs with (12) kills and added a service ace.

Matt Dickerson (Lockport, NY, Starpoint) also gave the Mavs a stellar performance. Dickerson accumulated (6) kills, (4) total blocks, and (2) service aces.

The Mavericks will return to action this Saturday, March 7th as they will compete in a double header against SUNY Potsdam and Nazareth. The first game is set to begin at 2pm, and the second game is set to begin at 4pm.

D'Youville Men Bested by Medaille on Home Court
athletics.dyc.edu
Wednesday, March 4, 2020

Buffalo, NY - The D'Youville men's volleyball team suffered a loss in their first home match of the week, falling to the visiting Medaille Mavericks by the final score of 3-1.

D'Youville got out to an early 4-1 lead in the first set, but Medaille would come back quickly to go ahead 8-6. The two teams would go back-and-forth over the next several points before the set was tied at 14. Medaille would go up 18-15 before the Spartans would score six of the next eight points to lead 21-20, but the Mavericks would close out the first with five unanswered to take the set 25-21.

The second was again an evenly matched performance as the set was tied 8-8. With the score 15-12 in favor of Medaille, the Spartans would trim the lead to two as the Mavericks would extend their lead to three and have it trimmed to two until Medaille went ahead 20-16. From that point on, the Mavericks would close out the match on a 5-1 run to win the second 25-17.

Like the second set, the third was tied early with the score of 7-7. D'Youville would get out to a 12-8 advantage before Medaille would score five unanswered to take the lead at 13-12. The third would again come to a tied score at 17, but D'Youville would take their game to another level to score the final eight points of the third to win 25-17.

Medaille would regain their form in the fourth, leading 10-4. They would extend their lead to 19-10 before going on to win the fourth 25-16 and the match 3-1.

Karl Jauch (Lockport, NY/Starpoint) led the team with 21 assists with Dan Busha (Hamburg, NY/St. Francis) tallying 13 kills. Mitch Mason (Eden, NY/Eden) registered 14 digs with Anthony Dean (Niagara Falls, NY/Niagara Falls) adding six kills. Ali Khadra (Williamsville, NY/Williamsville East) tallied six blocks with Joshua Hoy (Grand Island, NY/Grand Island) had three digs. Troy Stancampiano (Williamsville, NY/Williamsville East) accounted for two kills and three digs while William Anderson (Lake View, NY/Frontier) added a dig.

The next match for the Spartans will come this Friday evening as the men host SUNY Potsdam at 6:00pm.

Wentworth Men's Volleyball Serves Colby-Sawyer 3-0 GNAC Sweep
wentworthathletics.com
Wednesday, March 4, 2020

Boston, Mass. – Behind 17 aces and .453 hitting as a team, the Wentworth men's volleyball team swept Colby-Sawyer in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) action on Wednesday night inside Tansey Gymnasium,

RECORDS

Wentworth (12-4, 5-1 GNAC)
Colby-Sawyer (9-6, 0-2 GNAC)

STAT LEADERS

Kills – Alex McLane (8), David Marsh (7), Zach Anglen (6)
Digs – Phoenix Stebbins (8), Vinny Sottile (5), Alex McLane (5)
Assists – Vinny Sottile (16), Connor Adams (13)
Aces – Drew Potter (7), Tristan McDonough (3), Drew Hesse (2)

HOW IT HAPPENED

Wentworth opened the conference match hitting a booming .750 in the first set, as five aces from Drew Potter (Towson, Md.) led the Leopards to a 12-1 lead early on. Wentworth built a 21-5 lead on the heels of an 8-1 run and a combined three aces from Zack Anglen (Carmel, Ind.) and Alex McLane (Columbus, Ohio), and closed the set with a 4-2 spurt.

The beginning stages of the middle set proved closer than the first, as Colby-Sawyer hung on due to several Wentworth service and attack errors. Giovani Dos Reis registered the Chargers' first kill of the set to trail by four, 11-7, before Wentworth turned a 5-0 run with three consecutive aces from Tristan McDonough (Shelton, Conn.) to build a substantial lead that held throughout the set's remainder.

The Leopards swept the Chargers with small and efficient runs in the last set, and used an .086 sideout percentage to earn their fifth conference victory.

NOTES

Leopards hit above .400 for fifth time this season and rank seventh in Division III with .302 hitting for the year
Potter's seven aces ranks eighth all-time in program history
Sottile set a career-high with 16 assists

THE SERIES

Wentworth is 3-0 in the all-time series with the Chargers.

NEXT

Wentworth have a quick turnaround and host #12 ranked MSOE tomorrow evening at 7:00 p.m.

SJF Men's Volleyball Clipped in Five Sets
athletics.sjfc.edu
Wednesday, March 4, 2020

Chicopee, Massachusetts - The St. John Fisher College men's volleyball team was beaten by Elms College in five sets (25-19, 23-25, 25-20, 17-25, 16-14) at the Blazers' Maguire Center Wednesday evening. 

The Cardinals dropped to 13-4 this season while Elms moved to 10-8. This is the first time this season Fisher dropped back-to-back matches after losing to No. 1 Springfield on Tuesday. 

Martin Hackford and Josh Bigford each had 16 kills with Martin Hackford hitting a new season-high with mark. The Orchard Park native also had 10 digs for his fourth double-double of the year while Bigford posted 13 digs for his second double-double of the season. Paul Hackford earned 51 assists with zero setting errors. 

After the Blazers took the opening set, Fisher looked to square things up in the second. The Cardinals had the lead until Elms went up 17-16. Fisher was able to end the frame on a 5-2 run to win the set and make it 1-1. 

Elms' strong play down the stretch in the third stanza proved to be the difference as it went up 2-1. The Cardinals responded by getting off to a 5-2 lead to start the fourth and never looked back. Bigford tallied three-straight kills to give Fisher set point. Paul Hackford set up Matt Broderick for point that sent the match to the fifth. 

The Cardinals took control right out of the gate in the final set with gaining a 6-1 lead as Martin Hackford and Matt Beiter each put down an ace. However, the Blazers chipped away at the deficit and eventually tied it at nine-all. Fisher went up 14-11 with a chance to earn the victory, but Elms finished the match on a five-point streak to grab the win. 

Ivan Lopez set a new career-high with 14 kills while also posting three total blocks. Paul Hackford and David Cerqua led the Cardinals with 17 digs each. Eric Bentivegna led all players in the match with six total blocks. 

Fisher closes out its spring break trip on Saturday at No. 9 Endicott College for an 11 a.m. start time.

Saints sweep Yellow Jackets for third CVC win
marymountsaints.com
Tuesday, March 3, 2020

ASHLAND, Va. – The Marymount University men's volleyball team returned from a two-week hiatus on Tuesday night, sweeping Randolph-Macon College in Continental Volleyball Conference action, 3-0.

After falling behind, 6-3, to start the match, the Saints came back with an 11-4 run, as a kill from sophomore Ervin Harrell and a service ace from freshman Hayden Kerekes helped spark the team. Kerekes capped the run with a kill for a 14-10 lead.

Marymount continued to build its lead, with a kill from sophomore Miles Olson and two kills from classmate Jason Perkins, to 22-13, before cruising to a 25-17 win.

The Saints came out in the second set with a blistering .522 hitting percentage, putting the Yellow Jackets away, 25-12.

They opened the set with a 10-2 lead, as senior Sam Safley led the way with three kills.

Olson notched an ace to push the lead to double-digits, 16-6, and the team didn't look back from there for the 2-0 match lead.

Marymount used another large run to gain a 10-3 lead in the final set. Perkins and senior Joseph Zanelotti combined for a block for the first point, as the team got up for three blocks in the spurt. Harrell and Kerekes teamed for the final two.

The Yellow Jackets fought back to cut the lead down to three, 13-10, but freshman Haden Franken halted the comeback attempt with a kill. Safley notched two-straight kills, and three total, to help rebuild the advantage to 19-12.

Franken tallied two more kills in the set, as the team took the match with a 25-17 win.

Safley led the team with nine kills, while Zanelotti dished out 34 assists. Harrell paced the defense with eight digs.

Marymount will return to action on Saturday, March 7 at Immaculata University in CVC play; the match is set for 2 p.m.

No. 7 SJF Men's Volleyball Downed By No. 1 Springfield
athletics.sjfc.edu
Tuesday, March 3, 2020

Springfield, Mass - The St. John Fisher College men's volleyball team was swept (25-18, 26-24, 25-19) by No. 1 Springfield College on Tuesday at the Pride's Blake Arena. The Cardinals, ranked seventh in the NVA/AVCA Division III Coaches Poll, had to face the top-ranked team in the nation for the second-straight match after taking down New York University on Saturday. 

Fisher's record falls to 13-3 this season while Springfield improves to 16-2. Josh Bigford led the Cardinals with 11 kills. UVC and Empire 8 Player of the Week Paul Hackford posted a team-high 23 assists while Dylan Urbanksi tied a career-high with three service aces. 

The Cardinals got down early and could not turns things in their favor for the opening set. A 4-1 run made it a two-point game at 18-16, however, the Pride responded with four-straight points to run away with frame. 

The second stanza started out with Fisher gaining an early edge that held until Springfield took the lead at 15-14. A 6-2 run by the Cardinals that featured three Bigford kills made it 21-20 in the visitors favor and forced a timeout by the Pride. 

Fisher won the first point out of the timeout with Hackford setting up Bigford for another kill. The Cardinals had the chance to take the set on back-to-back points but the No. 1 Pride swung the momentum with four points in a row to earn a two-sets-none advantage. Springfield then won the final set wire-to-wire. 

In all but one match this season, Bigford has had double-digit kills. David Cerqua earned a team-high seven digs. Five different Fisher players had an ace in the match. 

The Cardinals are back on the court Wednesday at 7 p.m. to take on Elms College.

Wildcats Go The Distance (Twice) But Fall To #9 Wells
Express Emerge With A Pair Of Five-Set Wins Over Streaking Wildcats
By Mike Miranto, Sr. Associate A.D. for External Operations & Communications, daemenwildcats.com
Saturday, February 29, 2020

AMHERST, N.Y. - The Daemen College men's volleyball team saw their seven-match winning streak come to an end as they dropped a pair of five-set matches to Wells College this afternoon at Lumsden Gymnasium. 

Daemen, a NCAA Division II independent, had won 10 of their previous 12 matches before today's setbacks, and their seven-match winning streak was the longest in the brief two-year history of the program. The Wildcats stand at 10-7 overall this season. 

Wells, a member of NCAA Division III and the North Eastern Athletic Conference, improved to 18-3 on the season. The Express are ranked ninth in the latest NVA/AVCA Division III national poll. Today's wins helped them avenge a five-set loss to Daemen at their home gym back on February 14. 

IMPACT PLAYERS (MATCH #1)

Robert Patzer paced a quartet of players with double figures kills for Wells, finishing with 15 on 39 attempts. Joe Zimmerman (14 kills), Justin Williams (13 kills) and Caden O'Loughlin (13 kills) produced offensively as well. The quartet combined for 55 of Wells' 60 kills in the match. 

Josh Undari posted a match-high 43 assists and the Express got key defensive contributions from Zimmerman, Patzer and O'Loughlin who all recorded nine digs. 

Daemen was far less balanced offensively, getting a match-high 17 kills from freshman Zach Schneider (Lockport, N.Y.), but no more than seven from any other player. Schneider added a team-high eight digs as well. 

Sophomore setter Michael Krueger (Canonsburg, Pa.) recorded 30 assists for the Wildcats and Zach Yerington (Hamburg, N.Y.) finished with seven kills, six digs and five blocks. Jahari Winkfield (Oswego, Ill.) added four blocks. 

SET-BY-SET SUMMARY (MATCH #1)
Set One (DC 28, WC 26) - Daemen claimed the opening set despite being out-hit in terms of total kills (Wells 15, Daemen 11) and hitting efficiency (Wells .265, Daemen .161). There was no more than a three-point spread between the teams throughout the set. Wells took a 24-23 lead on a kill by O'Loughlin, but Daemen battled back with two-straight points, including a kill from Yerington. Wells fought off two set points, getting kills from O'Loughlin and Zimmerman before Daemen finally closed it out. The Wildcats benefited from a bad set by the Express to take a 27-26 lead, and then got a combined block by Yerington and Henry Moffitt (Sydney, Australia) to provide the required two-point margin.

Set Two (WC 25, DC 17) - Daemen took an early 6-5 lead following back-to-back kills by Yerington and Krueger. But Wells won 12 of the next 16 points to open up a 17-10 advantage. Daemen cut the deficit to 22-17 following a block by Yerington and Winkfield, but got no closer. Daemen managed just five kills in the set compared to 10 for the Express. 

Set Three (DC 25, WC 20) - It was a quick 4-0 spurt that turned a 12-11 deficit into a 15-12 lead for Daemen, an advantage they would not relinquish as they took a 2-1 lead in the match. Schneider and Winkfield notched kills and Yerington added a service ace in the spurt. The Daemen lead reached 21-16 following a solo block from Yerington. They picked up three late points thanks to errors by the Express to close the set. The Wildcats hit .346 and totaled 11 kills in the set. 

Set Four (WC 25, DC 22) - Daemen managed eight kills and committed just one hitting error in the fourth, but Wells regrouped offensively to hit .345 with 15 kills while evening the match. Daemen led 19-18, but surrendered four-straight points to Wells including a pair of kills by O'Loughlin and another from Patzer. O'Loughlin struck again for Wells' 24th point of the set, but Daemen fended them off with a kills from Schneider. The comeback was short-lived however as a Daemen service error ended things. 

Set Five (WC 15, DC 10) - Daemen took an early 2-1 lead, but Wells responded with an 11-3 run to seize control. The Wildcats got within four at 13-9 and again at 14-10, but the hill was too steep to climb. Patzer's kill shuddered the set and the match. Wells notched eight kills in the frame while Daemen had more errors (5) than kills (4). 

IMPACT PLAYERS (MATCH #2)

Patzer put down a match-high 19 kills and did so on a .382 hitting percentage to pace the Express.

Zimmerman and Williams tossed in eight kills apiece, and contributed defensively as well. Zimmerman added 11 digs while Williams totaled four blocks. O'Loughlin chipped in with a match-best 12 digs. 

Darean Schug handled setting duties for the Express and posted a match-high 43 assists. 

Daemen was led by redshirt sophomore Brandon Casterline (North Tonawanda, N.Y.) who totaled a career-high 12 kills on a .625 hitting percentage. 

Moffitt added a season-high 10 kills, while freshmen Matthew Garry (Depew, N.Y.) and John Jaworski (Naperville, Ill.) contributed as well. Garry recorded eight kills, four service aces and six digs. Jaworski, who was Daemen's libero in the opening match, saw some time on the pin and finished with a season-high seven kills to go with eight digs.

Ryan Beck (Pittsburgh, Pa.) and Jake Couzens (Hamburg, N.Y.) led the Daemen defense, each finishing with season-high efforts in digs (Beck 11, Couzens 10). 

Freshman setter Gavin Musielak (Eden, N.Y.) recorded a season-high 38 assists. 

SET-BY-SET SUMMARY (MATCH #2)
Set One (WC 25, DC 17) - Wells never trailed in the opening set, jumping out to leads of 8-5, 14-8 and 17-9. The Express increased their advantage to 22-12 following a pair of Daemen errors. The Wildcats managed to go on a 5-2 run to make things a bit more respectable, but Christian Hahn closed the set for Wells with a kill.

Set Two (DC 25, WC 18) - The Wildcats flipped the script in set number two, scoring the first five points of the frame and jumping out to an 8-1 lead. Wells got within 11-10 following a kill by Williams, but Daemen re-established control by winning nine of the next 11 points. Musielak, Garry and Casterline all recorded kills in the spurt which was capped by a combined block by Casterline and Couzens. Wells climbed back within six points (24-18) but Jaworski ended the frame with a kill. Daemen totaled 10 kills on a .350 hitting percentage in the set. 

Set Three (WC 25, DC 20) - Daemen took a 7-4 lead on an early kill by Garry, but Wells came back with a 7-1 run to go ahead 11-8. The teams went back and forth from there, but Wells never relinquished the lead. After Daemen pulled within 16-15, Zimmerman and Cooper Colesante combined on a block, and Zimmerman followed with a kill to keep the Wildcats at bay. A short 3-0 spurt that included a pair of kills from Patzer put the Express ahead by five (22-17) and they went on to close the set with a Colesante kil. 

Set Four (DC 25, WC 17) - Daemen would not go quietly though. They dominated the early portions of the fourth set, racing out to leads of 6-2, 10-4 and 15-8. The seven-point edge came after a service ace by Musielak and prompted a Wells timeout. Four times the Express got within five points, but never any closer. Casterline, Moffitt and Jaworski all recorded kills down the stretch to help Daemen even the match. 

Set Five (WC 15, DC 8) - Wells was able to regroup in time for the deciding set, totaling nine kills without a hitting error in the period. Patzer and O'Laughlin each pounded down a pair of kills during a set-opening 9-3 run. Daemen got within 10-6 on a kill by Casterline, and 13-8 on a kill by Garry, but another Patzer kill and a misplayed ball by the Wildcats ended the set and the match. 


NEXT SERVE

Daemen will host new Division II program Urbana (Friday, March 6) and new Division I program St. Francis-Brooklyn (Saturday, March 7) at Lumsden Gymnasium next weekend.

Medaille Men's Volleyball Hosts AMCC Quad Match
Mavs drop both games on Saturday
medaillesports.com
Saturday, February 29, 2020

BUFFALO, NY – The Medaille Men's Volleyball team hosted an AMCC Quad Match on Saturday with Wittenberg University, Penn State-Altoona and D'Youville taking part in the action packed event along with the Mavericks. Medaille would kick off the day with a match against the Wittenberg Tigers.

The Mavericks would drop the opening match to the Tigers (3-0).Despite the lopsided decision, the Mavericks took the Tigers to the very end in the first two sets.

In the first set, neither team managed to obtain greater than a two-point advantage. Both teams went point-for-point, trading volleys until the very end where the Tigers would capture the first frame (26-24).

The second set saw the same style of play until about the halfway mark. With the score sitting at (14-12) in favor of the Tigers, they would add to their lead by rattling off five straight points to take control. However, the Mavs didn't go down without a fight.

With the Mavs sitting on the brink of defeat (23-15), Medaille would get within three points (24-21) before one last Tiger kill would put the Mavs away in the second set.

The third set didn't provide the drama that the first two did. The Tigers took an early lead and never looked back and finished the Mavs (25-16).

Shawn Barbalato (Williamsville, NY, Williamsville South) and Matt Dickerson (Lockport, NY, Starpoint) led the Mavs in kills with five and Chris Pauline Jr. (North Tonawanda, NY, North Tonawanda) added five of his own. Setter Jake Siwy (West Seneca, NY, West Seneca West) would serve up (24) assists in the first match of the day.

The Mavs looked to bounce back in the Quad Match finale against Penn State-Altoona. Altoona won their previous matchup against D'Youville in straight sets.

The first set opened with a thrilling one, coming down to the wire. Altoona would tie the game (23-23) before the Mavs came away with two big kills from Brandon Smith (Lancaster, NY, Lancaster) and Pauline to close out the first set (25-23).

The second set saw much of the closely contested play that was seen in the opening set, but Altoona would ride a hot streak that separated them from Medaille. They would ride that momentum to a (25-18).

The Mavs were buzzing to start the first set, claiming an (8-4) advantage prior to a timeout by Altoona. Altoona responded by narrowing the Medaille advantage to (8-7) which then caused the Mavs to hit the reset button and call a timeout as well.

Later in the set, the Mavs began to gain some momentum. Medaille was able to keep plays alive with some highlight-reel plays that led to points. Eventually, Medaille would capture an (18-14) lead. Altoona would answer back with two straight points to get back within two (18-16).

With the Mavs up (23-21), Altoona got back within one and would eventually tie it with an ace (23-23). Another ace for Altoona would give them the lead and they would eventually close out the set (25-23).

Following the heartbreaking loss in the third set, the Mavericks came out firing, cruising to a (5-0) lead before Altoona put a halt to the action.

The game would again come down to the final stages. Altoona would score four straight, taking the lead over Medaille (20-18). The Mavs would get the set back even but the Lions followed that up with five-straight points to close out the day, defeating the Mavs in four sets.

Barbalato and Pauline would lead the Mavs in kills again with nine and seven kills, respectively. Nick Patterson (Amherst, NY, Amherst Central) was solid in the match with seven kills and seven digs and Siwy tacked on (34) more assists.

The Mavs are back in action Wednesday at D'Youville. Match start time is scheduled for 7 p.m.

Spartans Take Part in First AMCC Quad-Match of Season at Medaille
athletics.dyc.edu
Saturday, February 29, 2020

Buffalo, NY - The D'Youville men's volleyball team lost a pair of conference matches on Saturday afternoon to the Penn State-Altoona Lions 3-0 and the Wittenberg Tigers 3-0 at Medaille.

Altoona came out in the first set of the Spartan's first match of the day very strong, leading 7-1 quickly. That lead would increase to 11 as the Lions would go on to win the first by the same margin at 25-14.

The Lions started off the second set in the exact same fashion as the first, leading 7-1. D'Youville would close the gap to three at 12-9 before Altoona went back up by six at 19-13. The Spartans would again pull to within three at 21-24, but the Lions would close out the second with a 25-22 victory.

Another six-point lead helped get Altoona out in front in the third quarter as they led 11-5. That lead would grow to 11 and eventually would fall to eight as the Lions took the third 25-17 and the match 3-0.

Dan Busha (Hamburg, NY/St. Francis) led the team with nine kills while Mitch Mason (Eden, NY/Eden) and Anthony Dean (Niagara Falls, NY/Niagara Falls) tallied eight digs each. Dean and Troy Stancampiano (Williamsville, NY/Williamsville East) tallied three kills each with Joshua Hoy (Grand Island, NY/Grand Island) adding four. Karl Jauch (Lockport, NY/Starpoint) dished out 14 assists with Ali Khadra (Williamsville, NY/Williamsville East) adding a block and William Anderson (Lake View, NY/Frontier) had two service aces.

In their second match of the day, the Spartans led 5-4 before Wittenberg would come back to take a 10-6 lead. The Tigers would then go on to score 15 of the next 21 points to take the first 25-12.

D'Youville was again in the set early as they were tied at 6-6 before Wittenberg went on a 13-3 scoring run to lead 19-8. They would then continue to pour it on in the second to win the set 25-11.

The third would be the most competitive set of the match between the two teams. Wittenberg led 14-9 before D'Youville closed the gap to three at 21-18. The Spartans would then tie the match up at 23-23 but the Tigers would close out the set with two additional points to take the third 25-23 and the match 3-0.

Hoy, Stancampiano, and Busha tallied five kills each with Mason collecting 15 digs. Jauch tallied 15 assists with Khadra recording five blocks. Dean added two kills with Anderson adding three digs.

The Spartans will next host Medaille this Wednesday, March 4 at 7:00pm pm in the College Center Gym.

No. 10 PSU Men's Volleyball's Strong Serving Continues Win Streak Against Charleston
gopsusports.com
Saturday, February 29, 2020

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The No. 10 Penn State men's volleyball team continued its hot streak in EIVA play with another 3-0 sweep (25-11, 25-20, 25-16) over Charleston at Rec Hall's South Gym Saturday evening.

The win marked the seventh in a row for Penn State (11-6, 7-0 EIVA) and it was also the fourth consecutive win in straight sets.

HOW IT HAPPENED

With Penn State leading 4-3 early, the Nittany Lions rattled off a four-point run that included a Sam Marsh solo block and kills from Brett Wildman and Cal Fisher. Penn State held a 3-6 point margin for the majority of the set until Jason Donorovich stepped to the service line leading 16-10.

Donorovich had four aces in a Penn State six-point run, including three in a row, to all but seal the first game for the Nittany Lions.

Penn State's offense took over the second set as the Nittany Lions hit .667 (12-0-18). Five different attackers had kills as PSU balanced its attack. In addition, four Nittany Lions had service aces in the set.

Charleston battled back to pull within three points at 23-20, but PSU regrouped after the timeout to take the next two points to win game two.

Penn State had another six-point spurt to begin the third set, this time with Cal Fisher serving. He had an ace in the run and forced several other Charleston mishaps with his serve to give Penn State easy points.

Cole Bogner also had a serving run to extend Penn State's margin to plus-10 at 13-3. From then on out, the Nittany Lions had no trouble essentially trading points for the rest of the game to win by nine 25-16. Brett Wildman had five of his team-high nine kills in the third.

MIKE ANDERSON MAN OF THE MATCH

Jason Donorovich had another double-digit point performance with 10.5 points. He set a personal best for the second night in a row with six service aces, surpassing the five he had Friday against George Mason. He also tacked on four kills and two blocks.

HEAR IT FROM THEM

Head Coach Mark Pavlik
"I thought this was a great culmination of the weekend. It was a great culmination of five matches in eight days. I thought we started rolling last weekend in game three with our physicality and it just kept climbing. I thought our serve and pass game was as good as its been. I think more than anything else we're just a tough team to play against."
"I think we're starting to form a personality that if we embrace the physicality of our serving and really keep working on it we're going to be putting ourselves in positions to score points and score some easy ones."

Redshirt senior Jason Donorovich
Q: So you guys have won seven straight matches and four consecutive sweeps just what does that say about the team's confidence moving forward?
A: I kind of hit that last night too. Just talking about trying not to get cocky with it. We know that we have a bunch of ballers on our team. I mean last year we were that young team that really wasn't that experienced but now we've got guys who know how to read this game and like the level that we play at right now is super high.

Sophomore Cole Bogner
Q: What's it like for you setting to so many different depth options?
A: It's super easy due to the passing. Our passers have done a great job throughout the year no matter who we're facing. BYU really set it off at the beginning of the year. We pass extremely well against a very good serving team and then when I go to the hitters that I have who are consistently hitting .400, .500 on a night it just makes my job super easy.

NOTABLE STATS

Brett Wildman hit .316 with his nine kills and had two digs plus one ace.

Cal Fisher hit above .400 for the third time in the last four matches at .455 with 6 kills, three aces, four digs, and two blocks.

While no Nittany Lion had above 10 kills in the match, seven different players had at least two kills.

Penn State won the service battle by a significant margin once again with 14 service aces while only allowing three for Charleston.

NEXT UP

Penn State heads to Columbus for the second time this season to take on the Buckeyes March 8 before flying out to California for its spring break trip to face UC San Diego and UC Irvine March 11 and 13.

Cougars Sweep Tri-Match with Immaculata and Ramapo
keanathletics.com
Saturday, February 29, 2020

UNION, N.J. (2/29/20) – The Kean University men's volleyball team didn't surrender a set in sweeps over Immaculata University and Ramapo College on Saturday afternoon.

Kean 3, Immaculata 0

Stephen Reynolds finished with a season-high 15 kills and a single game record .750 hitting percentage as the Cougars (6-10) improved to 3-1 in the Continental Volleyball Conference with a straight sets sweep of Immaculata.

Kean dominated the Mighty Macs (2-8) from start to finish hitting .527 with 46 kills and just seven errors. The Cougars limited Immaculata to 15 kills and a .107 hitting percentage.

Reynolds broke the single game record for hitting percentage set by Bez Arslani on 2/22/14. In that match, Arslani hit .658 with 27 kills in a 3-2 victory over then #2 Rivier.

Duncan Beilke posted double-digit kills for the second straight match, finishing with 10. Kevin Molina totaled nine kills and a .571 hitting percentage. Beilke and Molina both finished with seven digs.

Zachary Noll handed out a career-high 37 assists, while Reynolds and Andrew Lukasiuk both collected five digs apiece.

Kean 3, Ramapo 0

Jared Ray finished with 24 kills, eight digs and a .550 hitting percentage as the Cougars (7-10) improved to 2-0 in the New Jersey Athletic Conference, and setup a rematch for the NJAC Championship on Mar. 17th against Rutgers-Newark, with a sweep of the Roadrunners (9-7) in straight sets.

Ray reached the 20 kill mark for the fifth time this season and the fourth time in the last five matches.

The victory also sees Kean improve their match winning streak over Ramapo to 15. The last time the Roadrunners beat the Cougars was a 3-1 loss on Apr. 2, 2013.

The freshman was unstoppable with 14 kills and only three errors between the first two sets. Ray finished off the match with 10 kills in the tight 26-24 set three victory that saw back-to-back kills and a block during the final four Cougar points from the rookie. 

Seth Russell totaled 12 kills and four digs, while Zach Gerken handed out 39 assists and Jonathan Meyer collected eight digs.

Head Coach Charlie Ginex and the Cougars will return to action in Beverly, Mass. on Wednesday, Mar. 11th against the nationally-ranked Gulls of Endicott College at 6:00 p.m.

No. 10 SJF Men's Volleyball Topples No. 1 NYU to Start Spring Break Trip
athletics.sjfc.edu
Saturday, February 29, 2020

BROOKLYN, N.Y. – The St. John Fisher College men's volleyball team defeated the number-one ranked team in the nation-New York University at the Violets' Brooklyn Athletic Facility on Saturday. The Cardinals, ranked 10th in the NVA/AVCA Division III Men's Coaches Poll, came back from down two sets to win in five sets (22-25, 25-27, 27-25, 26-24, 19-17) in a United Volleyball Conference matchup.

Fisher's record is now 13-2 on the year and 2-1 in conference. NYU takes its first loss of the season with a record of now 12-1 and a 3-1 in league play.

Josh Bigford had a game-high 25 kills with seven digs and three total blocks for the Cardinals. Matt Beiter had a career-high 14 kills with five digs and three total blocks. Paul Hackford earned a season-high 55 assists to go along with six kills, six digs and a game-high two service aces.

The first two sets were both tight affairs with the Violets coming out victorious in each of them. With their backs against the wall, the Cardinals took an early 3-1 lead and then went up 10-6. NYU would tie it at 16-all and then even took the advantage at 23-22. The Cardinals had to fight off two match points but were able to turn things it their favor with Beiter earning a kill that made it 26-25. Hackford would set up Bigford for set point to send the match to the fourth.

The fourth set featured a few runs by the Violets, however, Fisher had an answer each time to keep things close. A 4-0 run by the Cardinals put them in front 23-23 but NYU returned with three-straight points to make it 24-23 and give the Violets another match point. NYU would commit a service error and Fisher took advantage by winning the next two points to claim the fourth set and force a deciding fifth set.

Fisher controled the early portion of the final set with gaining a four-point lead at 12-8. A Bigford kill would give the Cardinals three match points at 14-11, though NYU fought them all off to keep the match going. Both teams would exchange points a few times to settle the score at 17-all. Bigford had another huge kill to take a 18-17 edge and Fisher would win the following point to earn the upset and complete the comeback.

In the final set, the Cardinals had 13 kills and only one error. At the net, Ivan Lopez had a season-high eight total blocks to lead Fisher. Matt Broderick had a team-high and season-high 13 digs in the match. Eric Bentivegna set a new career-high with eight kills while hitting .538 on the day. Bentivegna also added four total blocks. This was the Cardinals' first win over a number-one ranked team in program history.

The Cardinals continue their spring break trip as they head up to Massachusetts to face Springfield College on Tuesday for a 6 p.m. start time.

Loyola Falls To No. 5 Lewis In Three Sets
The Ramblers move to 6-11 (3-4 MIVA)
loyolaramblers.com
Saturday, February 29, 2020

In Short

The Loyola University Chicago men's volleyball team fell to No. 5 Lewis tonight in Romeoville, Ill. Loyola moves to 6-11 (3-4 MIVA), while the Flyers improve to 13-4 (6-1 MIVA).

How It Happened

In the first set, the Ramblers took a 4-2 lead on the Flyers after a quick kill from Ian Cowen followed by an ace. Lewis then turned it around with an 15-11 lead, posting a 4-0 run. Loyola called a timeout but the Ramblers struggled to respond. Anton Frank launched a middle kill to close the 19-12 gap Lewis formed, but they ended up on a 6-3 run to win, 25-15. 

The teams battled in the second set, tying eight times until Loyola went on a 3-0 run to lead 13-10 and force a Lewis timeout. Out of the timeout, Lewis snuck up on the Ramblers, taking back a 17-15 lead. The Ramblers tied it up again, 18-18 after Devin Joslyn posted an ace, but Lewis continued to battle ahead. After service errors from both teams, Lewis had a 22-20 lead. The Flyers took set two, 25-20.

Neither team led by more than one point until Lewis took a 7-5 lead in the third from back-to-back kills. Kyle Piekarski answered the Flyers with a big middle kill to make it 7-6, but the Ramblers weren't able to come back. Lewis went on a 3-1 run to take an 11-7 lead, followed by another 3-0 run to bring the score to 15-9. Still fighting, Cowen/Piekarski rejected the Flyers with a major monster block, 21-13, but it wasn't enough. Schlothauer put down one last kill to make it 22-15, but Lewis came out on top, 25-15.

A Look At The Numbers

- Jake Maffett posted seven kills for the Ramblers.
- Jake Freeman recorded 10 digs.
- Loyola only led Lewis in one category, out-blocking them 3-1.
- Lewis posted a .463 hitting percentage.

Up Next:

Loyola travels to Purdue Fort Wayne on Thursday, March 5 for a 6 p.m. match.

Harvard Men’s Volleyball Bested by No. 11 Princeton
gocrimson.com
Saturday, February 29, 2020

PRINCETON, N.J. – The Harvard men's volleyball team (9-6, 3-4 EIVA) dropped its match against No. 11 Princeton (9-5, 7-1 EIVA), today, Feb. 29, in three sets. The Crimson fell by set scores of 25-20, 26-24 and 25-17.

Sophomore Campbell Schoenfeld led the Crimson in kills with 10. First-year Ethan McCrary recorded a 1.000 hitting percentage with three kills on three attacks, while fellow first-year Ethan Smith registered five kills on eight attacks for a .625 hitting percentage. Sophomore Eric Li hit a .400 clip with seven kills on 15 attacks. Senior captain Matthew Ctvrtlik tallied a team-high 24 assists in the match.

At the service line, junior Griffin Schmit recorded two aces, while Li and Schoenfeld each had one.

Defensively, Schoenfeld had seven digs, the most on the team. Ctvrtlik totaled two block assists, while McCrary earned three total blocks, one solo and two assisted.

Harvard Highlights 

Both McCrary and Smith had zero attacking errors in the match.

Schoenfeld totaled zero receiving errors.

McCrary's 1.000 hitting percentage is a new career high for the middle blocker.

Up Next

The Crimson will have a week off before heading to California for a string of road matches. Harvard will see action against USC, No. 9 Pepperdine and Concordia (Calif.), March 14-16.

Red Flash falls in four to #15 George Mason
Mike McNabb, sfuathletics.com
Saturday, February 29, 2020

Loretto, Pa. – The Saint Francis men's volleyball team (5-11, 2-5 EIVA) fell in four sets to #15 George Mason (9-7, 4-3 EIVA) on Saturday night in Loretto.

Set One
· The Red Flash, with momentum from Friday, got out to a quick 5-1 lead.
· SFU kept its lead consistent at 3-5 and reached its biggest lead at 12-6 after a Michael Fisher (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley) kill.
· From there, Mason cut the lead to 16-13, but it was the closest they got, as SFU maintained and extended its lead and took set one by eight.
· Fisher led the set with nine kills and AJ Schmidt (Pittsburgh, PA/North Allegheny) added two.
· Roman Szwabinsky (Columbus, Ohio/Westerville South) picked up 12 assists.
· SFU hit a strong .483 in the set.
· Final Score: SFU 25, #15 George Mason 17

Set Two
· SFU jumped out to another early lead at 3-0.
· With the Red Flash up 10-5, Mason used a 5-1 lead to cut it to one but couldn't tie it. Then, after SFU extended the lead to 15-12, Mason answered with another run, this time 5-0, to take their first lead of the set.
· Down two, a huge block from Brandon Dunz (Lake View, NY/Frontier Senior High School) and AJ Schmidt (Pittsburgh, PA/North Allegheny) helped the Red Flash nod the set at 17.
· The teams traded points and found themselves tied at 25. Mason finished the set with two kills to take it.
· Fisher added eight kills in the set and Blake Liprando (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley HS) registered two.
· Szwabinsky contributed 11 more helpers.
· Schmidt and Dunz each had two block assists.
· Final Score: #15 George Mason 27, SFU 25 (Tied 1-1).

Set Three
· Tied at 4-4, Mason took the first lead larger than one at 6-4.
· SFU quickly tied it at six, and them teams went back and forth with no lead more than three until Mason went up 13-10.
· The Patriots continued to add onto their lead, reaching their largest at 16-11.
· SFU was able to cut the lead to two at 23-21, but Mason scored the final two points for the set victory.
· Liprando and Schmidt each picked up four kills and Joseph Koszelak (North Tonawanda, N.Y./St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute) came in for eight assists.
· Final Score: #15 George Mason 25, SFU 21 (Mason leads 2-1).

Set Four
· The teams stayed within two to start the set. Tied at eight, Mason rattled off three straight points and five of six to lead 13-9.
· The Patriots continued to add to their lead, and reached a 17-11 advantage.
· SFU was able to cut it to 18-14, but that was the closest the team could get, and Mason finished the Red Flash in the fourth set by seven.
· Schmidt led the Red Flash with four kills and four digs in the set, and Koszelak contributed nine assists.
· Final Score: #15 George Mason 25, SFU 18 (Mason wins 3-1).

Box Score Notes

· Michael Fisher (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley) had a game-high 22 kills. AJ Schmidt (Pittsburgh, PA/North Allegheny) added 11 and Blake Liprando (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley HS) added 10.
· Roman Szwabinsky (Columbus, Ohio/Westerville South) picked up 26 assists and Joseph Koszelak (North Tonawanda, N.Y./St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute) picked up 17.
· Ryan Alu (Pipersville, PA/Central Bucks West) led SFU with eight digs, followed by Schmidt (6), Fisher and Liprando (5 each).
· Total Kills: SFU 52, Mason 45
· Assists: SFU 47, Mason 38
· Total Team Blocks: Mason 11.5, SFU 7
· Attack %: Mason .257, SFU .201
· Attack Errors: SFU 25, Mason 17

Up next for the Red Flash is a trip to the west coast, where they will take on Southern California on Thursday (3/5) and #9 Pepperdine on Friday (3/6). Both matches are set for 7 pm.

No. 10 Penn State Earns Third-Straight Sweep In Win Over No. 15 George Mason
Nittany Lions extend win streak to six games; remain perfect in EIVA play
gopsusports.com
Friday, February 28, 2020

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The No. 10 Penn State men's volleyball team extended its win streak to six-straight matches with a third consecutive sweep in its 3-0 (25-19, 25-20, 25-16) victory over No. 15 George Mason Saturday evening at Rec Hall.

The Nittany Lions (10-6, 6-0 EIVA) remain perfect in league play with the win and have won 18 of their last 21 sets during the winning surge.

It was also the first regular season win for PSU over George Mason (8-7, 3-3 EIVA) since April 7, 2018 (3-2).

HOW IT HAPPENED

Penn State only trailed once in the first game after the very first point went to George Mason. The Nittany Lions used four different three-point runs to build its lead as high at 18-9 in the set.

George Mason made a push back within four after a four-point spurt to make it 22-18, but after a timeout, the Nittany Lions rattled off three of the last five points to seal the game, with Jason Donorovich finishing the frame with a kill and a service ace.

Another steady dose of point scoring from the Nittany Lions to begin the second game built the margin up to four for PSU at 10-6 after a Brett Wildman kill.

Penn State never trailed in the set and put together a run with a pair of points from Wildman and Donorovich and a service ace from Luke Braswell to lead 19-14. Despite the Patriots hitting .355 as a team in the game, Penn State countered with its best percentage (.441) for a set in the match to cruise to a 25-20 win.

In the third set, the Nittany Lions scored six point in a row, which included four-straight blocks, all involving Sam Marsh, to take command 11-4 in the set.

Penn State followed up with another five-point skein that included a pair of Cal Fisher kills to extend its lead to eight at 17-9. Fisher posted seven of his 16 kills in the last game to help the Nittany Lions win the game by nine.

HEAR IT FROM THEM

Head Coach Mark Pavlik
"I think over the course of certainly the last couple weekends, we're starting to settle in with some pretty patient play. I think the segments of the game are starting to complement each other. When we hit stretches when our serving isn't as effective, our offense keeps siding out so we don't lost points to them or we stay in the lead and then when our serving gets going, our blocking gave us the separation off of some pretty good serving where they weren't aces, but we made them pretty predictable."
"Defensively, we're playing a pretty good game. We are tracking balls down and I think that we are becoming a team that is kind of hard to play against because no matter what you do these guys are ready and prepared. This team is a very cerebral team to begin with and I think sometimes you can get teams like that that over-analyze. I think that we've hit the right mix of guys that analyze and act that don't get caught up in being frozen by trying to get too much data."

Redshirt senior Jason Donorovich
On the team's confidence: "We're pretty confident. I think we had a nice little hot streak earlier in the season and the difference between now and then, I think we were cocky. That was right before we went into Ball State and Ohio State, but now I think we are confident and we just have kind of like a trust going into practice we just know what we want to get done, what we want to accomplish. It is just going to translate right into the matches and that's what's been happening the past couple matches. We're just playing really well together because we are practicing really well together so it's all just working out for us, I guess."
On his serving success: " I was feeling really good. Against Saint Francis too, something was just clicking with my serve. I mean, it's a serve that I changed going into last year and so I've had like a year or so working on this serve and I guess now things are finally starting to click with me. Just like the breathing techniques that we have going on back there. And yeah, it's just feeling really good right now so I just hope that stays the way it is. When you've got pin guys hitting .500, .400, .467 I'm okay with not having to hit the ball as much because they're doing their job so I'll go back and serve the ball, sure!"

Sophomore Cal Fisher
Q: Cal, the baseball analogy is someone's on a hot streak. When a baseball looks like a beach ball coming towards home plate. How's it looking for you right now? You have been on a hot streak for the past few games.
A: "Yeah, I like that one. Cole has just been laying them right up there for me so it makes my job a lot easier. Our defense has been spectacular. They're making great plays and getting everything in system, keeping us in our routine and that helps. Everything helps."

NOTABLE STATS

Penn State's domination at the service line continued with eight service aces while only allowing one ace for GMU on the Patriots' 45 serves. Jason Donorovich set a new career-high with five service aces.

Cal Fisher led the way offensively for Penn State for the third time in the last four matches with a game-high 16 kills at a .467 (16-2-30) rate.

Brett Wildman and Henrik Falck Lauten also had great performances as the pair combined for 20 kills versus just two errors. Falck Lauten hit .500 or better for the second-straight match (9-1-16) while Wildman hit .400 (11-1-25).

The Nittany Lions dominated at the point of attack with 10.0 team blocks to GMU's 5.5. Sam Marsh led the Nittany Lions with eight, a new single-match best for the sophomore.

Cole Bogner's 33 assists marked the eight time in the last nine matches he has reached the 30-assist mark. He also had six digs, finishing just behind Will Bantle (7) for the team lead.

NEXT UP

Penn State hosts Charleston in the South Gym Saturday night to finish its seven-match stretch of EIVA games. First serve is scheduled for 7 p.m.

Harvard Men’s Volleyball Falls to NJIT
gocrimson.com
Friday, February 28, 2020

Photo Courtesy of Gil Talbot

NEWARK, N.J. – The Harvard men's volleyball (9-5, 3-3 EIVA) fell to the NJIT Highlanders (7-5, 2-3 EIVA) in three sets. Harvard dropped its first match of the weekend in New Jersey by set scores of 25-22, 25-19 and 25-19.

Offensively, the Crimson was led by sophomore Campbell Schoenfeld who recorded a team-high 14 kills and also totaled a .480 hitting percentage. Fellow sophomore Ryan Hong tallied five kills on eight attacks for a .375 hitting percentage. Senior captain Matthew Ctvrtlik once again led the team in assists, totaling 29 on the night.

At the service line, Ctvrtlik had the lone assist for the Crimson.

Junior Griffin Schmit guided Harvard on defense with a total of six digs, while Ctvrtlik followed closely behind with five of his own. Hong registered two block assists. Schmit and sophomore Eric Li both had one block assist in the match.

Harvard Highlights

Schmit and Ctvrtlik both had zero receiving errors on the night.

First-year Ethan Smith hit a 1.000 clip with one kill on one attack.

Harvard still leads the all-time series against NJIT, 27-20.

Up Next

The Crimson is back in action tomorrow night against No. 11 Princeton at 4 p.m. The match will be broadcast on ESPN+.

Red Flash sweeps Charleston, hits season-high .405
Mike McNabb, sfuathletics.com
Friday, February 28, 2020

Loretto, Pa. – The Red Flash men's volleyball team (5-10, 2-4 EIVA) picked up a sweep against Charleston (4-10, 2-4 EIVA) on Friday night in Loretto.

Coach Rumbaugh was impressed with the performance his team showed tonight:

"This was our best production of the year. We hit .405 with only seven errors and that makes me very happy. I also thought it was Roman's [Szwabinsky] best showing of the year."

Szwabinsky finished with 29 assists, five digs and two block assists.

Rumbaugh was also happy with the play of redshirt freshman AJ Schmidt (Pittsburgh, PA/North Allegheny).

"AJ has done a great job lately of solidifying the opposite position on our team. He is starting to grow into his role and is figuring out how to make plays."

Schmidt contributed seven kills, three digs and a block assist in three sets tonight.

Set One
· With high energy in the building, the teams exchanged points to begin the match, staying tied until 10-10.
· From there, SFU jumped out ahead 13-10, but Charleston answered and went up 14-13.
· With both teams looking for a way to get ahead, kills by Michael Fisher (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley) and Brandon Dunz (Lake View, NY/Frontier Senior High School) gave helped the Red Flash take its biggest lead of the set at 22-18. From there, SFU held off the Charleston rush and took the set by four.
· Fisher led SFU with five kills in the set.
· Other set leaders: Roman Szwabinsky (Columbus, Ohio/Westerville South) – 9 assists; AJ Schmidt (Pittsburgh, PA/North Allegheny) – 3 digs.
· Final Score: SFU 25, Charleston 21 (SFU leads 1-0).

Set Two
· The Golden Eagles jumped out to an early 4-1 lead.
· SFU began to rechannel its momentum from set one, slowly catching up and reaching a tie at nine.
· After the tie, the back and forth action continued. Then, tied at 12, the Red Flash used a 6-1 run to go up by five.
· With the score 21-16, SFU scored four of the final five points to take the set by eight.
· Fisher added five more kills in set two and Blake Liprando (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley HS) picked up three.
· Szwabinsky added 11 assists.
· Final Score: SFU 25, Charleston 17 (SFU leads 2-0).

Set Three
· The Red Flash started the set hot, taking an early 5-2 lead.
· The Golden Eagles slowed down the Red Flash and battled back to tie the set at eight.
· From 8-8, no team had a lead bigger than one point until SFU went up 23-21, but the Golden Eagles quickly answered to tie it at 23.
· Kills from AJ Schmidt (Pittsburgh, PA/North Allegheny) and Joshua Blair (Matterson. Illnois/Marian Catholic) gave the Red Flash the final two points for the set and sweep.
· Fisher and Liprando each registered four kills and AJ Schmidt (Pittsburgh, PA/North Allegheny) added three.
· Joshua Blair (Matterson. Illnois/Marian Catholic) and Roman Szwabinsky (Columbus, Ohio/Westerville South) each picked up three digs.
· Final Score: SFU 25, Charleston 23 (SFU wins 3-0).

Box Score Notes

· Fisher had a game-high 14 kills. Liprando finished with eight and Schmidt seven.
· Roman Szwabinsky (Columbus, Ohio/Westerville South) contributed 29 assists.
· Szwabinsky and Ryan Alu (Pipersville, PA/Central Bucks West) tied the game-high with five digs.
· Brandon Dunz (Lake View, NY/Frontier Senior High School) led the match with four block assists.
· Kills: SFU 37, Charleston 35
· Team Blocks: SFU 5.5, Charleston 3
· Errors: Charleston 19, SFU 7
· Attack %: SFU .405, Charleston .184.

Up next for the Red Flash is another EIVA match tomorrow (2/29) at 7 pm against #15 George Mason at DeGol Arena.

Loyola Downs McKendree, 3-1
The Ramblers improve to 6-10 (3-3 MIVA)
loyolaramblers.com
Thursday, February 27, 2020

In Short

With a valiant team effort, the Loyola University Chicago men's volleyball team downed McKendree, 3-1 tonight at Gentile Arena. Loyola posted a season-high 11.5 blocks while numerous Ramblers contributed to the victory. Cole Schlothauer recorded a career-high 22 kills, Devin Joslyn posted a double-double with 12 digs and 10 kills, Jake Maffett and Kyle Piekarski each added nine kills and Ian Cowen registered a career-high six blocks.

Coach Mark Hulse's Thoughts

"I thought it was a really good team win," Hulse said. "We killed a ton of volleyball's tonight, that's been tricky for us. That was probably the most collective effort we've had all year and we hit .400 as a result of it. I thought we set a nice bar for what we're trying to do."

How It Happened

The Ramblers played their best set all season, hitting a whopping .692 (9-0-13) percentage in the first. After an Ian Cowen ace, the Ramblers took an 8-6 lead before going on a major scoring run. Loyola won five straight points to force McKendree into a timeout with a 10-6 score. The point streak eventually moved to a 9-0 run for the Ramblers, highlighted by back-to-back aces from Maffett to move ahead 19-9. A big block from Joslyn/Piekarski/Cowen then gave the Ramblers their biggest lead, 20-9. Kyler Kotsakis entered the match later and launched an ace to bring it to 24-12 match point. Anton Frank put down a middle kill to end the set and give Loyola a 25-13 victory.

Loyola started with a 2-0 lead in the second set, as the Ramblers went out of their routine with a set from Schlothauer to Joslyn for the kill. After going back and forth in the beginning of the set, McKendree went on a 3-0 run to take back the lead, 11-10. The teams proceeded to tie the score four times, before the Bearcats went on another 3-0 scoring run. Frank and Schlothauer then posted back-to-back kills for a 16-16- tie. McKendree jumped ahead 19-17, but Loyola came out swinging after a timeout, with kills from Schlothauer and Maffett to tie it again, 19-19. The Ramblers were able to stay with it after that as Piekarski registered back-to-back kills to put Loyola up 21-20. In the final points, Joslyn tallied an ace and Schlothauer put it away for the win, 25-22.

Neither team pulled ahead by more than two points in the entire third set, until McKendree came out with a 25-22 win. A Cowen/Piekarski block gave the Ramblers a 4-3 lead early in the third set. Loyola held steady with McKendree, exchanging points before Joslyn rejected the Bearcats with a huge solo block for a 9-8 lead. As McKendree gained a 16-15 lead, Schlothauer slammed a kill from the back row to tie it 16-16. Loyola took a timeout as the Bearcats took a 23-22 lead, but they would end up scoring three in a row for the victory.

The closeness of the third set jumped into the fourth, as both teams battled it out in the early points. The Ramblers big run started with a Piekarski/Cowen block before Piekarski set up Schlothauer for a kill. Loyola's 8-5 lead didn't stop there, as Andrew Lyons/Schlothauer/Cowen posted another big block and forced a McKendree timeout. The Ramblers eventually gained a 10-5 lead. McKendree later passed the ball over the net and Lyons came up big for a middle kill to make it 12-8 Ramblers. Loyola furthered their lead with a 3-0 run and the Bearcats called a timeout. Down the stretch, Loyola pulled ahead 22-15 and Lyons secured the final set victory for the Ramblers, tipping the ball down for a kill and then posting his first career-solo block. Loyola won, 25-12.

A Look At Numbers

- Schlothauer led the Ramblers with a career-high 22 kills on .462 hitting percentage.
- Joslyn posted the second double-double of his career with 12 digs and 10 kills.
- Piekarski recorded a team-best .571 hitting percentage (9-1-14) with nine kills.
- Maffett tied his career-high nine kills and tallied seven digs and two aces.
- Cowen registered a career-high six blocks and posted 44 assists.
- The Ramblers tied their season-best with 57 kills on .407 hitting percentage.

Up Next

The Maroon & Gold visit No. 5 Lewis on Saturday at 7 p.m. in Romeoville, Ill.

Men's Volleyball Suffers First Conference Loss to Behrend
Pauline Leads Effort With 10 Kills
medaillesports.com
Wednesday, February 26, 2020

ERIE, PA - The Men's Volleyball team made the trip to Erie, PA this evening to face conference challenger, Penn State Behrend. The Mavericks aimed to stay undefeated in conference play after they earned their first win against Thiel College in this season's home opener. 

The Lions entered the match undefeated in conference. They were not going down without a fight, and the Mavericks fought hard. Despite the close fought match up, the Mavs fell to the Lions by a score of (3-0).

The Mavericks kept up with the Lions for the first set, but could not pull through with the initial win, losing the match (21-25).

The second match again was a thriller, but the Mavs dropped the set (23-25). The Mavs were fighting for a win against a tough competitor but just couldn't find the momentum.

In the third match, the Lions jumped ahead quick, winning the set with by a score of (16-25).

Chris Pauline Jr. (North Tonawanda, NY, North Tonawanda) performed for the Mavericks, resulting with (10) kills and (3) blocks. Following him with (5) kills was newcomer Malachi Jackson (Cheektowaga, NY, Cheektowaga Central).

Also coming up big for the Mavericks was Shawn Barbalato (Williamsville, NY, Williamsville South) and Matt Dickerson (Lockport, NY, Starpoint). Barbalato earned (2) service aces throughout the match while teammate Dickerson earned (1) ace and (2) blocks.

The Mavericks will are back in action on Saturday, February 29th as they host the AMCC Quad Match. The Mavs will take on Wittenburg University at 10:00AM, followed by Penn State Altoona at 4:00PM.

Thiel Gives D'Youville First Road Conference Lost
athletics.dyc.edu
Wednesday, February 26, 2020

Greenville, PA - The D'Youville men's volleyball team lost their first road conference game of the season to the Thiel Tomcats on Wednesday evening by the final score of 3-0.

Following an early 6-3 Thiel lead, the Spartans came back to tie the first set at 10-10. The Tomcats would then go on a run to go ahead 21-15 before D'Youville trailed 19-23. However, Thiel would close out the set to take the first 25-22.

In the second, the Tomcats went up early 12-4 as the deficit was cut to six just a few points later. Thiel would continue their strong play from beginning to end of the second to win the set 25-14.

The third saw the Tomcats again come out strong to lead 10-5, but D'Youville would quickly cut their deficit to two at 11-13. That two point score discrepancy was the smallest it would get for the rest of the third as Thiel went on to win the third 25-18 and the match 3-0.

Anthony Dean (Niagara Falls, NY/Niagara Falls) and Dan Busha (Hamburg, NY/St. Francis) tallied eight kills each in the match. Mitch Mason (Eden, NY/Eden) tallied nine digs while Troy Stancampiano (Williamsville, NY/Williamsville East) added seven with two kills. Ali Khadra (Williamsville, NY/Williamsville East) added two kills with one block.

Karl Jauch (Lockport, NY/Starpoint) registered 18 assists while William Anderson (Lake View, NY/Frontier) tallied three digs. Juan Centeno (Williamsville, NY/Williamsville North) and Joshua Hoy (Grand Island, NY/Grand Island) each played quality minutes against the Tomcats.

The next pair of matches for the men will come this weekend at Medaille as they take on Penn State-Altoona and Wittenberg at 12:00pm and 2:00pm.

No. 10 PSU Men's Volleyball Springs Past St. Francis In Three Sets
gopsusports.com
Tuesday, February 25, 2020

LORETTO, Pa. – The No. 10 Penn State men's volleyball team made quick work of EIVA foe, St. Francis, with a straight-sets victory 3-0 (25-17, 25-13, 25-16) on the road Tuesday evening at SFU's DeGol Arena.

The Nittany Lions (9-6, 5-0) have won five-straight matches all in league play and picked up their second 3-0 sweep in a row in Tuesday night's win.

Penn State had both its offense and defense in solid form with a .357 team hitting percentage while pinning down the Red Flash (4-10, 1-4 EIVA) to just a .029 rate, the lowest against the Nittany Lions in 2020.

HOW IT HAPPENED

The first set was the most competitive of the match with both teams with five lead changes early on, but the sixth lead change put the score in Penn State's favor after a three-point run, making it 13-12 Nittany Lions.

Penn State never allowed another lead change in the game from that point on. With Henrik Falck Lauten at the service line leading 17-15, Penn State pulled the margin to six thanks to an ace and kill from Falck Lauten. The Nittany Lions finished the set on a 10-2 run to lead 1-0.

The second game was all Nittany Lions as PSU sped out to a quick 8-2 lead after a Jason Donorovich service ace. A block by Falck Lauten and Sam Marsh put the Nittany Lions ahead 10-3 and forced an early Saint Francis timeout.

SFU closed the margin to as few as five at 15-10 before a four-point Penn State run put an end to any shot of a comeback for the Red Flash. Falck Lauten had a pair of kills and Donorovich tacked on another ace during the run that forced SFU's second timeout. Penn State ended up taking the set by 12.

Another strong start in game three put Penn State in strong position to earn the three-game win. Cal Fisher had a kill followed by a Red Flash error for PSU to lead 10-5.

SFU crawled back within two points at three occasions, with the latest being 17-15, but Penn State clinched the match with a seven-point spurt and eight of the next nine points to finish the match. Donorovich had two blocks, including one solo, in the match-ending run. 

HEAR IT FROM THEM

Head Coach Mark Pavlik

"I thought our serving really asserted itself in that first set to go on that first run and from there we really used our serve to our advantage for runs when we needed them in the second and third games."

"For us to come off that New England trip and look as fresh as we did was a really nice thing to see. A lot of our guys had some good jump tonight and that's a credit to them recovering very well."

NOTABLE STATS

Henrik Falck Lauten led the Nittany Lions with 11 kills for his second match of the season with double-digit kills. He also hit a season-best .529 (11-2-17) with two aces while posting a perfect serve-receive rate at 16-16.

Jason Donorovich had a 10.5-point match with five kills, three aces, and three total blocks including a pair of the solo variety. He did not have an error while hitting .455 (5-0-11).

Will Bantle had nine digs and was 14-15 on serve receive.

Penn State had a clear edge from the service line with seven aces to SFU's one while holding a 7.5-1 in team blocks.

NEXT UP

Penn State will play its fourth and fifth league matches in seven days with its home series against George Mason and Charleston Friday and Saturday, Feb. 28-29, at Rec Hall. Friday's match will be in the Main Gym with Saturday's contest set for the South Gym, both starting at 7 p.m.

Red Flash Swept By #10 Penn State
sfuathletics.com
Tuesday, February 25, 2020

Loretto, Pa. – The Saint Francis men's volleyball team (4-10, 1-4 EIVA) fell to #10 Penn State (9-6, 5-0 EIVA) on Tuesday night, 3-0.

Set One
· In front of a solid Loretto crowd, the Red Flash had an early 6-4 lead.
· Penn State didn't let the Red Flash lead get too large, and took a quick 8-7 lead.
· The teams continued to trade points and stayed within two of each other until the Nittany Lions took an 18-15 lead on a service ace.
· From there, Penn State scored seven of the final nine points to take the set by eight.
· Michael Fisher (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley) led SFU with four kills and Blake Liprando (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley HS) added three on .400 hitting.
· Roman Szwabinsky (Columbus, Ohio/Westerville South) tallied 11 assists.
· Final Score: Penn State 25, SFU 17 (PSU leads 1-0).

Set Two
· Penn State jumped out to a 10-3 lead and forced a Red Flash timeout.
· The Nittany Lions continued to pour it on in the set and reached their biggest lead at 12-4.
· SFU slowly crept back into the set and cut the PSU lead down to five at 15-10, but the Nittany Lions answered with a 5-1 run to retake a nine-point lead.
· The Red Flash only scored two more points the rest of the set and PSU won by 12.
· Fisher and Brandon Dunz (Lake View, NY/Frontier Senior High School) each picked up two kills for the Red Flash.
· Szwabinsky had six assists.
· Final Score: Penn State 25, SFU 13 (PSU leads 2-0).

Set Three
· Penn State got out to an 8-4 lead and continued to stay up by 3-4 points until SFU cut it to two at 15-13.
· From there, the Nittany Lions finished the set on a 10-3 run to win the set by nine and take the match.
· In the set, Brandon Dunz (Lake View, NY/Frontier Senior High School) led SFU with three kills and Szwabinsky chipped in five assists.
· Final Score: Penn State 25, SFU 16 (PSU wins 3-0).

Box Score Notes

· Michael Fisher (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley) led SFU with eight kills and Brandon Dunz (Lake View, NY/Frontier Senior High School) added five.
· Roman Szwabinsky (Columbus, Ohio/Westerville South) tallied 22 assists.
· Ryan Alu (Pipersville, PA/Central Bucks West) picked up seven digs.
· Kills were 33-23 in favor of Penn State.
· Penn State also had 7.5 team blocks compared to just one from the Red Flash.
· Attack %: Penn State .357, SFU .029.
· Total Errors: SFU 36, Penn State 20.

Up next for Saint Francis is another weekend of home conference matches. They will face Charleston on Friday night at 7 pm and #15 George Mason on Saturday at 7 pm.

Winning Streak Hits Seven Matches After Wildcats Sweep Medaille and Elmira
Krueger Notches 1,000th Career Assist As Wildcats Improve To 10-5
Tom McDermott, Sports Information Consultant, daemenwildcats.com
Sunday, February 23, 2020

BUFFALO, N.Y. - The Daemen College men's volleyball team ran its winning streak to seven straight matches following wins over Medaille College and Elmira College here today during a tri-match hosted by Medaille. The Wildcats outlasted the host Mavericks 3-0 (27-25, 26-24, 25-15) and then capped the day with a 3-0 (25-14, 25-14, 25-15) victory over Elmira.

Daemen, a NCAA Division II independent, has now won 10 of its last 12 matches and improved to 10-5 overall. The Wildcats won just six matches during their inaugural season last year. Medaille (6-7) is a member of NCAA Division III and the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference. Elmira (5-10) is a member of NCAA Division III and the United Volleyball Conference.

Daemen remained unbeaten (3-0) in the all-time series with Medaille, and the Wildcats evened (1-1) their all-time series with Elmira.

IMPACT PLAYERS VS. MEDAILLE

Graduate student Zach Yerington (Hamburg, N.Y.), freshman Zach Schneider (Lockport, N.Y.) and sophomore Jahari Winkfield (Oswego, Ill.) combined for 24 of Daemen's 32 kills. Yerington totaled 11 kills, two service aces, three blocks and three digs. Schneider racked up seven kills, three blocks and four digs, while Winkfield totaled six kills with no attack errors, six blocks and three digs.

Sophomore Michael Krueger (Canonsburg, Pa.) and freshman Gavin Musielak (Edan, N.Y.) posted a combined 25 assists. Krueger totaled 14 assists, two aces and five digs, while Musielak added 11 assists and three digs.

Freshman Ryan Parker (Fairport, N.Y.) turned in a solid match with three kills, a season-high five aces and a team-high 10 digs.

Senior Nick Patterson paced a balanced attack for Medaille with five kills, while junior Jake Siwy added 15 assists and six digs.

SET-BY-SET SUMMARY VS. MEDAILLE

Set One (DC 27, MC 25) - Daemen jumped out to a 7-3 lead and later held a 10-7 advantage when the Mavericks put together an 8-2 run. A kill by Patterson capped the run and gave the hosts a 15-12 lead. The teams then traded points and Medaille held a 22-18 lead when the Wildcats scored four of the next five points and pulled to within a point at 23-22. Medaille was serving for the set at 24-22, but Daemen scored the next three points to take a 25-24 lead. Medaille evened the set at 25-25, but the Wildcats got back-to-back kills by Yerington and Musielak to secure the win.

Set Two (DC 26, MC 24) - The Mavericks held early leads of 6-4 and 10-7, before the Wildcats put together a 7-3 run and took a 14-13 lead following a service ace by Krueger. The Wildcats later took a 21-18 lead following a service ace by Yerington, only to have the hosts rally with five unanswered points—with the final four coming via Daemen attack errors. Daemen regrouped and later took a 24-23 lead following a kill by Winkfield. The Mavericks tied it at 24-24 following a Daemen service error, but Daemen closed out the set when Schneider and Winkfield combined for a block and sophomore Ryan Beck (Pittsburgh, Pa.) followed with a service ace.

Set Three (DC 25, MC 15) - Daemen scored the first eight points, but the Mavericks answered with a 9-3 run and pulled to within two points at 11-9. The Daemen lead was three points, 14-11, when the Wildcats took control with a 7-1 run. The Mavericks came no closer than seven points down the stretch.

IMPACT PLAYERS VS. ELMIRA

Schneider, Yerington, Parker and Winkfield combined for 31 kills and just four attack errors, as the Wildcats posted 36 total kills and a hitting percentage of .491.

Schneider contributed 10 kills, one attack error and a .643 hitting percentage. He also chipped in three service aces and a team-high seven digs. Yerington added eight kills, one attack error and a hitting percentage of .636. Parker finished with eight kills, two attack errors and a .429 hitting percentage, while Winkfield capped off his error-free day with five kills on five attempts. Winkfield also added a team-high four blocks.

Krueger dished out 33 assists and registered two aces. He entered the day just 17 assists shy of 1,000 for his two-year career and has now totaled 1,030 assists in 36 career matches.

Freshman Tyler Anderson paced the Soaring Eagles with five kills and two aces. Freshman Neiram Galan-Canales and senior Garrett Coleman combined for 15 assists.

SET-BY-SET SUMMARY VS. ELMIRA

Set One (DC 25, EC 14) - Daemen scored the first three points, but Elmira countered by scoring four of the next five and the set was tied at 4-4 early on. Neither team led by more than three points after that until a 6-2 run gave the Wildcats a 14-9 lead. The Daemen lead was three points, 15-12, when the Wildcats opened up a double-digit lead (23-13) following an 8-1 run.

Set Two (DC 25, EC 14) - The Wildcats jumped out to an early 8-3 lead, but the Soarding Eagles scored four of the next five points to make it 9-7 Daemen. The Daemen lead was four points, 16-12 when the Wildcats used a 5-1 spurt to open up a 21-13 lead. Elmira scored the next point, only to have Daemen close out the set with four unanswered points.

Set Three (DC 25, EC 15) - Daemen once again jumped out to an early lead (7-2), and the Daemen lead was four points, 11-7, when a kill by Parker sparked the Wildcats on an 8-1 run that made the score 19-8. The Soaring Eagles came no closer than nine points after that.

NEXT SERVE

Daemen is idle until Saturday (Feb. 29) when it hosts Wells College in a pair of matches at Lumsden Gymnasium.

Cougars Split Sunday Matinee with Misericordia and SUNY-Poly
keanathletics.com
Sunday, February 23, 2020

UNION, N.J. (2/23/20) – Jared Ray and Seth Russell combined for 52 kills over two matches as the Kean University men's volleyball team split a tri-match with Misericordia University and SUNY-Poly on Sunday.

Misericordia 3, Kean 1

Russell and Ray combined for 47 kills as the Cougars (4-10) dropped a hard fought match to the Cougars of Misericordia (11-7).

Russell totaled 10 kills as Kean came up short in the 26-24 set one loss with Misericordia collecting the final two points.

Kean answered with a combined 13 kills from Ray and Russell and a .290 hitting percentage to take set two, 25-18.

Misericordia would take the final two sets with .192 and .200 hitting percentages while limiting Kean to a .088 and a .091 percentages. 

Zach Gerken recorded a double-double with 45 assists and 10 digs, while Jonathan Meyer collected 15 digs.

Kean 3, SUNY Poly 0

Duncan Beilke finished with 11 kills and six digs as the Cougars (5-10) bounced back to sweep the Wildcats (5-11) in straight sets.

Kean hit .341 for the match, including a .600 hitting percentage in the set one victory. The Cougars also posted double-digit kills in all three sets. The Cougars limited Poly to a .200 hitting percentage.

Kevin Molina finished with seven kills, while David Jones tallied five and Maxim Kostin finished with four. Luke Frankenfield totaled 15 assists and three aces in the victory.

Head Coach Charlie Ginex and the Cougars will return to action on Saturday, Feb. 29th, hosting a tri-match with Immaculata University and Ramapo College beginning at 12:00 p.m.

Medaille Men's Volleyball Splits Day with Loss to Daemen and Win vs. Elmira
Malachi Jackson leads the Mavs with (15.5) points
medaillesports.com
Sunday, February 23, 2020

BUFFALO, NY - The Men's Volleyball team hosted a tri-match which included Daemen and Elmira Colleges. The Mavs competed in the first and third matches of the day.

In the first match of the day, the Mavericks took on the Wildcats. Daemen was a daunting opponent for the Mavericks, having competed against schools such as #2 UCLA, #8 Pepperdine, and Harvard. The Mavs had their hands full to start out the day.

However, the Mavericks stuck with Daemen the whole match despite losing (3-0).

The first set the Mavs took things to extra points before losing by a score of (27-25). The second set was more of the same with the Mavericks hanging with Daemen before dropping the set (26-24). The third and final set was one that the Wildcats dominated by a score of (25-15).

The second match of the day went almost completely in favor of the blue and gold. The Mavericks beat the Soaring Eagles (3-0).

The Mavs ran away with the first set (25-14). The second set was a bit more nerve racking for the Mavs as it took extra points to win the set (26-24). The third set again was won fairly commandingly by the Mavs (25-18).

Malachi Jackson (Cheektowaga, NY, Cheektowaga Central) led the team with (15.5) points on the day, powered by (13) kills and (2) solo blocks.

Matt Dickerson (Lockport, NY, Starpoint) also played well for the Mavs recording (14.5) points from (8) kills, (3) service aces, and (4) solo blocks.

Not to be outdone was Shawn Barbalato (Williamsville, NY, Williamsville South) who also had (14.5) points on the day. Barbalato had (7) kills, (2) service aces, and (5) solo blocks.

The Mavericks will return to action Wednesday, February 26th when they will travel to Erie and take on Penn State Behrend. The match is an AMCC match and will begin at 7pm.

D'Youville Loses to Elizabethtown and Nazareth for Second Time
athletics.dyc.edu
Saturday, February 22, 2020

Rochester, NY - The D'Youville men's volleyball team lost a pair of matches on Saturday afternoon at Nazareth, falling to the Elizabethtown Blue Jays 3-0 and the Nazareth Golden Flyers 3-0.

D'Youville lead early in the first match of the day against Elizabethtown 7-4 before the Blue Jays would come back to lead 11-10. The two teams would then go back-and-forth down the stretch in the first with the score tied at 16, 20, and again at 23. However, the Blue Jays would score the final two points of the first to win 25-23.

After leading 6-3 in the second, Elizabethtown would let the Spartans back in the match with the scored tied 9-9. The Blue Jays would then score five of the next six to lead 14-10 and then led by three at 22-19 before winning the set 25-19.

The third set saw the Spartans get out to a 6-3 lead before the Blue Jays overtook D'Youville to go ahead 12-8. Elizabethtown would then increase their lead to 16-10 before D'Youville would trail by two at 18-16, but go on to win the third 25-19 and the match 3-0.

Dan Busha (Hamburg, NY/St. Francis) led the team with 12 kills with Joshua Hoy (Grand Island, NY/Grand Island) tallying five kills while Ali Khadra (Williamsville, NY/Williamsville East) and Anthony Dean (Niagara Falls, NY/Niagara Falls) recording four each. Danny Steck (Lancaster, NY/St. Francis) added three kills.

Karl Jauch (Lockport, NY/Starpoint) registered 25 assists with Mitch Mason (Eden, NY/Eden) and Hoy each registering nine digs each. Khadra led the way with five blocks for the men.

The second match of the day saw the Spartans face off against the host Golden Flyers. Nazareth went ahead 12-7 in the first before the Spartans cut the deficit to two at 14-12. However, the Golden Flyers would go on to score 11 of the next 15 points to earn a 25-16 victory.

Nazareth jumped out to a big lead in the second at 6-1 and then 12-6 a few points later. The Spartans would close the gap to one at 14-15 and again trail by a small margin at 21-23 late in the second. Unfortunately for D'Youville, the Golden Flyers would pull away late to win the second 25-22.

Early in the third, the two teams were tied at 9-9 before the Golden Flyers pulled ahead 14-10. The Spartans would pull to within three at 15-18, but Nazareth would close out the third strong on a 7-1 run to win the set 25-16 and the match 3-0.

Busha led the team with seven kills with Khadra and Steck each tallying three. Jauch led the way with 13 assists while Mason tallied a team-high eight digs.

The next match for the men will come this Wednesday, February 26 as they play at Thiel at 7:00pm.

Wentworth Men's Volleyball Sweeps GNAC Tri-Match with Lasell & JWU
wentworthathletics.com
Saturday, February 22, 2020

Boston, Mass. – Keeping its undefeated conference record intact, the Wentworth men's volleyball team swept Lasell University and Johnson & Wales on Saturday afternoon inside Tansey Gymnasium. Wentworth moves to 4-0 against league opponents, while Lasell downed JWU in the middle match in five sets to split the day.

RECORDS

Wentworth (11-2, 4-0 GNAC)
JWU (9-11, 3-3 GNAC)
Lasell (9-9, 2-2 GNAC)

Match One: Wentworth 3, Lasell 0 (25-12, 25-17, 25-15)

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE – STATISTICAL LEADERS

Kills: Ryan Love (12 - .550), Hunter Oshman (11 - .476), Ian Carlson (7)
Digs: Peter Klembczyk (10), Ryan Love (7), Drew Hesse (5)
Assists: Augusto Rodriguez-Guerrios (35)
Blocks: Colin Stockton (4 BA, 1 BS)
Aces: Colin Stockton (3)

NOTES

Leopards hit season-high .493, while Ian Carlson (Parker, Colo.) hit .700 with seven kills and zero errors on ten swings. Ryan Love (Gaithersburg, Md.) hit .550 with 12 kills one error on 20 swings, while Hunter Oshman (Pennington, N.J.) hit .476 with 11 kills on 21 attempts with one error.

Eight players recorded at least one dig on defense, led by Peter Klembczyk (Penfield, N.Y.) with ten.

Match Two: Wentworth 3, Johnson & Wales 0 (25-17, 25-11, 25-18)

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE – STATISTICAL LEADERS

Kills: Ryan Love (12), Hunter Oshman (8), Colin Stockton (7)
Digs: Hunter Oshman (13), Peter Klembczyk (12), Ryan Love (9)
Assists: Augusto Rodriguez-Guerrios (30)
Blocks: Ian Carlson (5 BA), Augusto Rodriguez-Guerrios (4 BA)
Aces: Drew Hesse (4)

NOTES

Stockton and Carlson hit .875 and .417, respectively

Oshman sets career-high on defense

Wentworth earns fifth straight sweep 

NEXT

Wentworth heads to reigning GNAC Champion Rivier on Wednesday for a highly anticipated league match at 7:00 p.m. Both teams are currently undefeated in conference play.

SJF Men's Volleyball Stomps Sage in Straight-Sets for First Conference Win
athletics.sjfc.edu
Saturday, February 22, 2020

ALBANY, N.Y. – The St. John Fisher College men's volleyball team defeated the Sage Colleges Saturday at the Gators' Kahl Gym. The Cardinals, ranked 14th in the NVA/AVCA Division III Coaches Poll, won in straight-sets (25-17, 25-12, 25-18) to earn their first United Volleyball Conference victory of the season. Fisher's record is now 12-2 overall and 1-1 in league play while Sage moves to 4-12 and 0-3 in the UVC. 

Josh Bigford excelled on the court for the Cardinals with a season-high .545 hitting percentage as the sophomore racked up a game-high 14 kills while only committing two attack errors. Fisher tied a season-high with 13 service aces in the match. Junior Martin Hackford led the way for the Cardinals with tying a career-high five aces to go along with nine kills. 

Fisher had to play from behind as the match got underway but quickly turned it in its favor with an 11-3 run that made it 18-13 Cardinals. Martin Hackford, Matt Beiter and Matt Broderick all tallied aces during the run. Four points won in a row put the visitors just one away from winning the set with Bigford netting back-to-back kills and then an ace to lead the surge. Paul Hackford set up Beiter for the set-winning point. 

The Cardinals won the second set wire-to-wire with taking an early 3-0 advantage and then never looking back. A four-point run put Fisher on top 18-9 as Beiter won the opening point of the run and then later served up an ace. The Cardinals finished off the frame with four straight points with Paul Hackford assisting Bigford on the final point. 

After falling into 5-1 hole in the third set, Fisher responded well and tied it up at seven-all. Martin Hackford slammed home a kill to give the Cardinals a 10-9 edge and that would be the final lead change of the day as Fisher grew its lead to as high as nine at 23-14. The final point was a Hackford special as Paul passed it Martin to put the game on ice. 

25 points by the Gators is the second lowest output the Cardinals have allowed this season. Sage also only had 17 digs in the match, which is the lowest amount Fisher has allowed this year. Meanwhile, Beiter had a game-high seven digs along with six kills and three aces for the Cardinals. Paul Hackford had another solid setting day with a game-high 37 assists. 

Up next for Fisher is its spring break trip that will feature three teams ranked in the most recent national poll including No. 1 and No. 3. The Cardinals start the road trip at the third ranked team in the nation-New York University on Saturday, February 29 for a 1 p.m. tilt.

Red Flash picks up first conference win of the season
Mike McNabb, sfuathletics.com
Saturday, February 22, 2020

Fairfield, Conn. – The Saint Francis men's volleyball team (4-9, 1-3 EIVA) picked up a sweep against Sacred Heart (4-6, 0-5 EIVA) for its first conference win of the season.

Coach Rumbaugh was proud of the effort his team showed today:

"Finally, it was a good win for us. We fought from behind every set and never felt defeated. Both teams dropped tough five set matches last night and I feel we both gave our all today. Clutch serving to end every set – from AJ in set one, Josh in set two and Dunz in set three – were the difference makers today."

Set One
· SFU jumped out to a 5-2 lead to start the match.
· Sacred Heart channeled the Red Flash run and tied the match at 10.
· The teams stayed close and Sacred Heart used a timeout after SFU took a 16-14 lead.
· Following the timeout, the Red Flash maintained its lead until the Pioneers tied it at 19.
· Going back and forth, the teams eventually tied at 24.
· An ace by AJ Schmidt (Pittsburgh, PA/North Allegheny) gave SFU point 26 and the set win.
· Schmidt and Brandon Dunz (Lake View, NY/Frontier Senior High School) led the Red Flash with three kills apiece.
· Roman Szwabinsky (Columbus, Ohio/Westerville South) picked up 11 assists.
· Final Score: SFU 26, Sacred Heart 24 (SFU leads 1-0).

Set Two
· The set began 3-3, then Sacred Heart went up 6-3.
· The Pioneers then extended their lead to 12-6.
· SFU was able to battle back and tie the set at 17.
· From there, points were exchanged until the teams found themselves tied at 24 for the second set in a row.
· This time, an ace from Michael Fisher (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley) gave SFU the set victory.
· Fisher picked up four kills and Blake Liprando (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley HS) also added four.
· Joshua Blair (Matterson. Illnois/Marian Catholic) had three kills and Joseph Koszelak (North Tonawanda, N.Y./St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute) came in and registered 14 assists.
· Final Score: SFU 26, Sacred Heart 24 (SFU leads 2-0).

Set Three
· Sacred Heart jumped out to a 7-2 lead.
· SHU continued to hold a 4-6 point lead, but the Red Flash clawed back into it and tied it at 16.
· For the third time in three sets, the teams saw a tie at 21.
· SFU finished the set on a 4-1 run to take the sweep.
· Liprando picked up six kills in the set and Koszelak contributed 15 assists.
· Final Score: SFU 25, Sacred Heart 22 (SFU wins 3-0).

Box Score Notes

· Blake Liprando (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley HS) had a game-high 12 kills, Michael Fisher (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley) added 11 and AJ Schmidt (Pittsburgh, PA/North Allegheny) added eight.
· Joseph Koszelak (North Tonawanda, N.Y./St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute) had a game-high 29 assists in only two sets.
· Fisher led the match with 12 digs.
· SFU led in kills (40-34), assists (40-32), digs (34-24) and attack % (.256-.250).
· SFU also had 10 aces compared to three from SHU.

Up next for Saint Francis is more conference action on Tuesday night, playing host to #9 Penn State at DeGol Arena.

Harvard Men’s Volleyball Edged by No. 9 Penn State
gocrimson.com
Saturday, February 22, 2020

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – The Harvard men's volleyball team (9-4, 3-2 EIVA) fell to EIVA opponent Penn State (8-6, 4-0 EIVA) in three sets. Although the Crimson rallied back in set three, the team would drop the match by set scores of 25-18, 25-13 and 25-13.

Offensively, senior captain Matthew Ctvrtlik had the highest attacking percentage for the Crimson, hitting a .750 clip. The setter tied his career high attacking percentage with three kills on four attacks and no errors, while also totaling 23 assists in the match. Sophomore Campbell Schoenfeld led the team in kills with eight.

Senior captain Chase Howard and sophomore Eric Li each had seven digs to lead the team. Sophomore Ryan Hong notched three block assists, while junior Adam Gordon followed close behind with two of his own.

Harvard Highlights 

Li also totaled two blocks in the match, one solo and one block assist.

Harvard ranks third in the NCAA in digs per set with 10.59.

Ctvrtlik ranks second in the EIVA with 10.04 assists per set.

Howard leads the EIVA with 2.66 digs per set.

Up Next

The Crimson will head to New Jersey for EIVA contests against NJIT and No. 11 Princeton. Harvard will first face NJIT at 6 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 28, before seeing action against Princeton at 4 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 29. The Crimson's match against Princeton will be broadcast on ESPN+.

Ball State Rallies To Stun Ramblers, 3-2
Loyola moves to 5-10 (2-3 MIVA)
loyolaramblers.com
Saturday, February 22, 2020

In Short

After leading 2-0, Ball State won three sets in a row to defeat the Loyola University Chicago men's volleyball team, 3-2. Cole Schlothauer led Loyola with 20 kills, while Kyle Piekarski registered a career-high 18 kills and Jake Freeman added a career-high 13 digs.

Coach Mark Hulse's Thoughts

"You do some things well enough to win, maybe a couple sets but even then, we just we weren't that sharp," Hulse said. "The set scores go up and then they go down three in a hurry. But even in the second set I don't know how good we were. Ball park, big picture to play real well on a Friday and not feel like we played real well on a Saturday is a bummer. We'll go back to practice and we'll work harder, we'll watch the video, we'll get better, we'll get a little tougher, no doubt."

How It Happened

Loyola started off with a lead, eventually moving ahead 6-2 after a Devin Joslyn ace. Ball State slowly crept up, coming back for a 16-14 lead. Joslyn came up with a back-row kill to make it 16-15, before both teams battled and exchanged points. Schlothauer slammed an ace to tie it 18-18 before Luke Denton came up to serve and crushed another ace to give the Ramblers a 22-20 lead and force a Ball State timeout. To finish out the set, Piekarski launched two kills from the middle to give the Ramblers a 25-23 victory.

In set two, Ball State went on a 3-0 run to take a 6-4 lead early, but the Ramblers came back to tie it 10-10. Both teams tied it four more times before Ball State took a 18-16 lead. After a Loyola timeout, the Cardinals came back strong from the break, taking a 21-18 lead. The Ramblers were able to come back, 22-20 after a service error from the Cardinals and a Piekarski kill. Loyola then went on a run, as Schlothauer posted back-to-back kills for a 23-22 lead. The Cardinals tied it again but Schlothauer put down another kill from the outside to keep the Ramblers in it, 24-23. Andrew Lyons and Denton sealed the win for the Ramblers as they both went up for back-to-back combined blocks and Schlothauer posted one more kill for the 26-24 win.

Ball State took an 8-3 lead in the third set and the Ramblers struggled to come back as the score moved to 11-4. Loyola made a huge comeback with back-to-back kills from Schlothauer, a service error and Lyons kill for a 20-15 score. Loyola later went on a 3-0 run to close it in, 23-21, but the Cardinals ended up holding their lead, 25-22.

In the fourth set, the Ramblers took a huge 11-5 lead with another kill from Piekarski followed by an ace. Ball State started to come back, but Joslyn completed another back row kill to keep the Ramblers in it, 15-11. The Cardinals went on a 3-0 for a 17-14 lead and eventually tied it 22-22 and were clutch with the final points, upsetting the Ramblers, 25-23. 

In the final set, the Cardinals jumped ahead with a 8-2 lead and the Ramblers struggled to catch up. The closest the Ramblers came was 12-6 before Ball State snagged a 15-8 win.

A Look At The Numbers

- Cole Schlothauer led the Ramblers with 20 kills, nearly reaching his career-high 21 kills.
- Kyle Piekarski recorded a career-high 18 kills on .586 percent hitting (18-1-29).
- Jake Freeman posted a career-high 12 digs.

Up Next

The Ramblers continue their homestand, hosting McKendree on Thursday, Feb. 27 at 7 p.m.

Harvard Men’s Volleyball Battles to Five-Set Victory Over Saint Francis (Pa.)
gocrimson.com
Friday, February 21, 2020

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – The Harvard men's volleyball team moved to 9-3 on the season and 3-1 in EIVA play after it defeated Saint Francis (Pa.) (3-9, 0-3 EIVA), 3-2. The Crimson won by set scores of 25-19, 23-25, 25-21, 25-27 and 15-13.

Offensively, the Crimson achieved a .302 hitting percentage as a team and was lead by sophomore Campbell Schoenfeld, who recorded 15 kills. Fellow sophomore Eric Li was close behind with 12 kills on 21 attacks for a team leading .429 hitting percentage. Senior captain Matthew Ctvrtlik, meanwhile, totaled 40 assists, for his sixth game with 40 or more assists this season.

At the service line, sophomore Ryan Hong tallied two aces, while junior Griffin Schmit and Li each had one.

Defensively, senior captain Chase Howard and Ctvrtlik each recorded 13 digs. Ctvrtlik had zero receiving errors on the night. Hong totaled four blocks, one solo and three assisted, while Schoenfeld tallied two block assists of his own.

Harvard Highlights

Hong recorded a .375 hitting percentage with six kills on 16 attacks and zero attacking errors.

First-year Ethan McCrary totaled six kills on 12 attacks for a .417 hitting percentage.

Ctvrtlik has had 40 or more assists in three-straight matches.

Up Next

The Crimson returns to the Malkin Athletic Center tomorrow, Feb. 22, to face No. 9 Penn State at 4 p.m. The match will be broadcast on ESPN+.

Loyola Upsets Ohio State, 3-1
The Ramblers improve to 5-9 (2-2 MIVA) this season
loyolaramblers.com
Friday, February 21, 2020

In Short

The Loyola University Chicago men's volleyball team recorded its second-best hitting percentage all season and upset Ohio State, 3-1 tonight at Gentile Arena. The Ramblers improve to 5-9 (2-2 MIVA) this season. As a team, the Ramblers registered a season-best 10.0 blocks, while Cole Schlothauer led the Ramblers with 17 kills, eight digs and three blocks.

Coach Mark Hulse's Thoughts

"I really loved the way we played," Hulse said. "I thought the guys were really tough, played with some passion and some emotion. We flew around, we were just sticking together, we were dealing with some of the failure. Ohio State is just tough. They put a lot of pressure on you with the way they serve and the way they play. I thought we just dealt with that in a way that we've been working on getting to."

How It Happened

The Ramblers kicked off set one with a 4-1 lead, splitting points between a Luke Denton kill, a Anton Frank ace and another kill from Schlothauer. Ohio State then called a timeout when Frank, Denton and Schlothauer combined for a huge block to give Loyola a 10-4 advantage. Ohio State would later go on a pair of 3-0 runs to bring it within three, 15-12. The Ramblers held on as Kyler Kotsakis entered the game to serve and Schlothauer launched a kill from the outside to bring the Ramblers to a 19-13 lead and an Ohio State timeout. Loyola would go on to win, 25-20. Schlothauer finished with six kills in the set.

Ohio State snagged the first two points in the second set, but Frank posted back-to-back aces to give the Ramblers a 3-2 lead. After the Buckeyes went on a 3-0 run, Loyola tied it back up 6-6 with a kill from Devin Joslyn. The Ramblers would slightly trail for the remainder of the set, as Ohio State posted a whopping .571 attack percentage and won set two, 25-21.

Neither team led by more than three for the start of the third set, until the Ramblers went on a 7-1 run for a 14-9 lead. Four of Loyola's points in their run were two kills from Schlothauer, a kill from Andrew Lyons and another from Joslyn. Ohio State called one last timeout after Joslyn/Kyle Piekarski posted a huge block. The Buckeyes attempted to close the gap, but Kotsakis came off the bench to serve an ace and the Ramblers stayed with it to win set three, 25-20.

Both teams battled through a nail-biter in set four, exchanging points before Loyola took a 9-6 lead after a kill from Schlothauer, a block from Lyons/Denton and a kill from Joslyn. Loyola maintained its advantage, eventually pulling ahead 17-12 to force an Ohio State timeout. Schlothauer was up next and served an ace to give Loyola its largest lead of set before the Buckeyes attempted to chip away. With a 21-14 Loyola lead, Ohio State called another timeout. Coming off the break, the Buckeyes went on a 3-0 run to bring it to 22-18. The teams battled to a 24-22 score at set point, but Schlothauer put it away for the 25-22 victory.

A Look At The Numbers

- Schlothauer and Joslyn recorded double-digit kills for the Ramblers. Schlothauer led with 17 while Joslyn added 13.
- Frank posted a career-high three aces, including back-to-back aces in set two.
- Loyola posted nine aces as a team and registered a .356 hitting percentage, both second-bests this season.

Up Next

The Maroon & Gold are back at Gentile Arena tomorrow night to host Ball State at 7 p.m. The men's volleyball team is partnering up with the Loyola women's basketball team to host Pride Day. Tickets are available for $5 to attend the doubleheader, which begins at 2 p.m.

Califf Earns Career-high Assists During Win Against Ball State
gomastodons.com
Friday, February 21, 2020

FORT WAYNE, Ind - No. 14 Purdue Fort Wayne took down in-state rival Ball State 3-1 (25-18, 21-25, 25-20, 25-22) on Friday (Feb. 21). Sean Califf recorded a career-high 44 assists in his first-ever collegiate start.

1st Set
The Mastodons took the lead early 2-1 in set one. Richie Diedrich and Califf held off the Cardinals offense with two blocks, allowing the Mastodons to go on a three-point run and advancing to a 6-3 lead. Jon Diedrich recorded two kills and had a block with his brother, pacing another run for the Mastodons that pushed the lead to 14-6. With Ball State hitting -.038, Purdue Fort Wayne took set one 25-18 with seven team blocks.

2nd Set
Ball State took off early in set two and never trailed. Pelegrin Vargas had two kills in a row, allowing the 'Dons to tie up the set at five. Later on, two errors by Ball State and a kill by Richie Diedrich during a three-point run wasn't enough for the 'Dons, and the Cardinals took set two 25-21.

3rd Set
Purdue Fort Wayne came out in set three with a four-point run and had the lead 5-2. Richie Diedrich had two kills and a block during the run and the Cardinals had two attack errors. A five-point run came up for the Mastodons with two blocks by Richie Diedrich and one block by Califf, pushing the 'Dons' lead to 16-9. Ball State tallied seven attack errors after three Purdue Fort Wayne blocks, and Jon Diedrich closed out the set with a kill, allowing the 'Dons to end set three 25-20.

4th Set
The momentum kept coming for Purdue Fort Wayne in set four as Tomas Gago and Carlos Mercado had a kill apiece and Jon Diedrich had the first Mastodon ace of the match, advancing to a 9-5 early lead. Vargas recorded the second ace for the 'Dons and took a five-point lead at 15-10. Ball State couldn't hold on and Purdue Fort Wayne ended the fourth and final set 25-22 after Carlos Mercado had a kill between the Cardinal blockers.

Notable Purdue Fort Wayne Individual Stats

Vargas: 15 kills, one ace
Richie Diedrich: 10 blocks, nine kills
Califf: 44 assists
Troy Gooch: nine digs

Notable Ball State Individual Stats

Kaleb Jenness: 17 kills, 10 digs
Quinn Isaacson: 48 assists, two aces
Felix Egharevba: six blocks

Notes

Califf had a career-high 44 assists in his first collegiate start.

Mercado had a career-high nine kills and eight digs in his first start.

Vargas is one dig shy of 500 digs.

The Mastodons out-hit the Cardinals .345-.248.

Up Next

No. 14 Purdue Fort Wayne elevates to a record of 7-4, 2-2 MIVA as the Cardinals fall to a record of 8-5, 1-2 MIVA. The Mastodons will host Ohio State on Saturday (Feb. 22) at 7 p.m. ET.

Bigford Posts Career-High 27 Kills as No. 14 Men's Volleyball is Toppled by No. 5 Vassar in UVC Opener
athletics.sjfc.edu
Friday, February 21, 2020

POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. – The St. John Fisher College men's volleyball team fell in five sets (23-25, 26-28, 25-17, 25-18, 15-10) to Vassar College at the Brewers' Kenyon Hall Friday night.

After earning their first national ranking in program history last week; the Cardinals, ranked 14th in the NVA/AVCA Division III Men's Coaches Poll dropped to 11-2 overall and 0-1 in the United Volleyball Conference. Meanwhile, Vassar, ranked fifth in the national poll, improved to 10-4 and 3-0 in league play.

Sophomore Josh Bigford set a new career-high with a game-high 27 kills while Paul Hackford led the Cardinals with 44 assists.

After not playing in a match for almost two weeks, the Cardinals played from behind for the early portion of the opening set until a 6-0 run made it 18-13 in favor of the visitors. Fisher then controlled the edge the rest of the way and then Paul Hackford set up Bigford the set-winning point.

On Paul Hackford's serve the Cardinals won four straight point to go up 6-3 in the second set. Vassar would make it a tight contest for much of the stanza until Fisher gained a 24-20 lead. The Brewers were able to fight off the four set points and even take a 25-24 advantage. However, the Cardinals responded with a big point off the hand of Bigford to keep the set going. The visiting team took three of the next four points to grab a two-sets-to-none advantage.

The Brewers led for the entirety of the third set and extended the match to the fourth set. In the fourth, the Cardinals kept it close until Vassar used a 5-1 run to gain a 19-15 edge and then finished the set on a 5-2 run to send the match to the fifth.

After the Brewers won the opening point of the final set, Paul Hackford set up his brother Martin Hackford for the kill to tie it at one-all. Down by one, David Cerqua assisted Bigford on a point to square things at five-all. Vassar would take the lead one final time on the following point and would not relinquish it the rest of the way.

Martin Hackford earned his third double-double of the season with 12 kills and 11 digs. Paul Hackford reached 40 assists for the fifth time this season. Cerqua had a team-high 12 digs. Ivan Lopez posted six total blocks for the second-straight match. 

Fisher now gets ready for another conference bout on Saturday when it visits The Sage Colleges. The match is set to start at 11 a.m.

Fisher's Career Night Brings No. 9 Nittany Lions Back In 3-2 Reverse Sweep
gopsusports.com
Friday, February 21, 2020

FAIRFIELD, Conn. – The No. 9 Penn State men's volleyball team completed its second reverse sweep of the season to remain perfect in EIVA play with a 3-2 win (25-27, 23-25, 25-18, 25-15, 15-11) over Sacred Heart Friday evening.

The Nittany Lions (7-6, 3-0 EIVA) had a huge offensive performance from sophomore opposite hitter Cal Fisher, who posted 29.0 points and his first career double-double in the win.

Sacred Heart (4-5, 0-4 EIVA) won the first two games but ultimately fell victim to 13 Penn State service aces, five of which came from Fisher, tying his career high.

HOW IT HAPPENED

The first set was very close throughout, but the Pioneers made the first significant run with four in a row to lead 15-12 and Penn State called timeout. The Nittany Lions responded to tie it at 18 before two kills from Brett Wildman gave PSU leads of 19-18 and 21-20.

However, it was Sacred Heart who mustered a set-clinching run of four-of-five points to end win the frame 27-25.

Penn State was in good position to take the second set after a Cole Bogner and Jason Donorovich block gave the Nittany Lions a 21-18 lead, but Sacred Heart rallied late again to take four-straight points for a 22-21 lead. The Pioneers wouldn't give up that advantage, taking the second set 25-23.

Down two games to none, the Nittany Lions needed a big spark to bring them back into the match, and they found their spark in Fisher. The Pittsburgh native had a pivotal three-point run on his own with a kill and two aces to give PSU the 19-14 edge in the third set. That run gave Penn State the margin it needed to win its first set of the match 25-18.

Penn State's offense also got a lift from Bobby Wilden off the bench, like last Friday's match against Princeton. After hitting .545 as a team in the third game, PSU had another strong offensive output at .452 in the fourth game.

Penn State ran off a five-point run from 16-12 to 21-12 which included a big block from Marsh and Fisher after an extended volley back-and-forth. Sacred Heart had no answer for the big deficit as Penn State took the game by a margin of 10, sending the match to a fifth and deciding set.

Sacred Heart started off the fifth set hot with a 6-3 lead, but the Nittany Lions managed to take four of the next six points to trail by one as both teams switched sides.

The Nittany Lions then rattled off the most important run of the match with five points in a row. Wildman started the run with a kill, proceeded by a Bogner kill, Fisher service ace, a block from Donorovich and Wildman, and then one more Bogner kill. The Nittany Lions' 13-9 lead was more than enough for Penn State to trade points and win the match with a 15-11 fifth frame.

NOTABLE STATS

Cal Fisher's career night included a team-best 23 kills at a .476 clip (23-3-42), five service aces, and 10 digs for his first career double-double. Fisher has set career high kill numbers in back-to-back matches after his 13-kill performance against NJIT last Saturday.

Cole Bogner tied his career high with 57 assists, a mark he initially set in last season's EIVA semifinal match against George Mason. He also had eight digs plus his crucial two kills in the five-point run late in the fifth game.

Brett Wildman had his third career 20-kill performance with 22 while hitting .306 (22-7-29). He also tacked on three blocks, two aces, and five digs.

Bobby Wilden had just one attacking error versus eight kills (.538) in his four sets of action. He along with Sam Marsh and Jason Donorovich had two aces each, marking five Nittany Lions with multiple service aces.

Penn State had a season-high 13 service aces in the match while allowing just three aces for the Pioneers.

The Nittany Lions last won via the reverse sweep this season Jan. 18 against then fifth-ranked Lewis. 

NEXT UP

The Nittany Lions head to Cambridge, Mass. to face Harvard tomorrow afternoon at 4 p.m. in another EIVA conference match.

Wentworth Men's Volleyball Swings Past Emerson in GNAC Action
wentworthathletics.com
Thursday, February 20, 2020

Boston, Mass. – Hitting .456 for the second time this season, the Wentworth men's volleyball team cruised past Emerson College 3-0 in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) action on Thursday evening inside Brown & Plofker Gymnasium by set scores of 25-15, 25-10 and 25-9.

RECORDS

Wentworth 9-2 (2-0 GNAC)
Emerson (4-6, 0-2 GNAC)
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE – STATISTICAL LEADERS

Kills: Hunter Oshman (6), Tristan McDonough (5 -.714), Alex McLane (5 - .625)
Digs: Ryan Love (4), Peter Klembczyk (4), Drew Hesse (3), Phoenix Stebbins (3)
Assists: Augusto Rodriguez-Guerrios (18), Connor Adams (9)

HOW IT HAPPENED

Wentworth breezed to the 3-0 victory with efficient and balanced hitting, jumping to a 10-5 run in the first set using three kills from Hunter Oshman (Pennington, N.J.) A WIT service error later kept the kept at five, 16-11 midway through, before the Leopards closed the set on a 9-4 run with three kills from Ryan Love (Gaithersburg, Md.), and one apiece from Alex McLane (Columbus, Ohio), Ian Carlson (Parker, Colo.),. Colin Stockton (Hummelstown, Pa.), and Oshman. 

The Leopards hit .500 in the middle set and turned two substantial runs to defeat the Lions 25-10. Wentworth was lights out in the final plays, ending the frame on an 8-0 run, thanks to a kill apiece from McLane, Stockton, and Tristan McDonough (Shelton, Conn.) alongside a service ace from Phoenix Stebbins (Harrisburg, Pa.).

A match-high .545 hitting percentage (13K-1E-22TA), powered Wentworth to a 25-9 set win in the last frame, leaving little room for error after Drew Potter (Towson, Md.) gave WIT a 12-6 lead. The Leopards turned a 13-2 run committing just a single error, as Vinny Sottile (Lindenhurst, N.Y.) served back-to-back aces to seal match-point.

NOTES

Leopards tie season-best hitting percentage of .456 and rank 9th in NCAA Division III with .300 hitting
Earn third straight sweep and eighth sweep overall

THE SERIES

Leopards run win streak to 14 matches vs the Lions and hold a 20-2 advantage in the all-time series dating back to 2009.

NEXT

Wentworth returns to Tansey Gymnasium for a GNAC tri-match on Saturday, February 22, with Lasell and JWU. First serve between the Lasers and the Leopards is set for 11:00 a.m.

Medaille Men's Volleyball Wins First Home Match of 2020
Nick Patterson led the Mavericks with (15) points during the night
medaillesports.com
Wednesday, February 19, 2020

Patterson led the team with (15) points tonight

BUFFALO, NY – The Men's Volleyball team played their first game home match of the season in the Sullivan Center.

The team did not disappoint, after dropping the first set in nail biter fashion, the team rallied off three set wins in a row to take the match (3-1).

In the first set the Mavericks held a (21-16) lead; a seven point run powered the Tomcats to a victory in set one. Thiel (26) – Mavericks (24)

Beginning with the second set the Mavericks were not going to go down without a fight. The Mavs rolled through the next three sets. Set two was won by a score of (25-17), set three was won by a score of (25-21), and set four was won by a score (25-16).

The Mavericks were fueled by great performances from the team, most notably so Chris Pauline Jr. (North Tonawanda, NY, North Tonawanda) and Nick Patterson (Amherst, NY, Amherst Central). Patterson led the team with (15) points from (13) kills and two service aces. Pauline Jr. was second on the team with (14) points from (14) kills.

Matt Dickerson (Lockport, NY, Starpoint) also had a solid performance for the team with (5) kills, (2) service aces, (4) solo blocks, and (2) block assists.

Shawn Barbalato (Williamsville, NY, Williamsville South) rounded out the top performances for the team recording (11) points on (7) kills, (2) service aces, one solo block, and two block assists.

The Mavericks will return to action on Sunday, February 23rd, when they will host a tri-match including Elmira and Daemen Colleges. Game one is set to begin at 11AM.

D'Youville Men Open up Conference Schedule at Home with Loss to Lions
athletics.dyc.edu
Wednesday, February 19, 2020

Buffalo, NY - The D'Youville men's volleyball team played in their first AMCC match of the season on Wednesday evening as the men fell to the visiting Penn State-Behrend Lions by the final score of 3-0.

Behrend jumped out to an early lead in the first set of the match, leading 9-3 over the Spartans. That lead would more than double as the set went on with the Lions leading 18-9 on their way to a 25-15 first set victory.

The Spartans would get out to a quick 4-3 lead in the second before Behrend would come back to go ahead by seven at 13-6. That lead increased to eight at 20-12 before D'Youville would make a late run to trail by three at 20-23. However, the Lions would close out the set with two final points to win the second 25-20.

Much like the first set, the Lions would go ahead early with the score 8-4 in the third. The deficit would increase to five at 15-10 and then double to 10 at 22-12 with Behrend taking the third 25-13 and the match 3-0.

Dan Busha (Hamburg, NY/St. Francis) led the team with 12 kills. Karl Jauch (Lockport, NY/Starpoint) tallied 16 assists with Mitch Mason (Eden, NY/Eden) registering eight digs. Ali Khadra (Williamsville, NY/Williamsville East) led the way with two blocks while Danny Steck (Lancaster, NY/St. Francis) and Joshua Hoy (Grand Island, NY/Grand Island) had two kills each.

Anthony Dean (Niagara Falls, NY/Niagara Falls) chipped in with four kills while William Anderson (Lake View, NY/Frontier) registered one dig and Troy Stancampiano (Williamsville, NY/Williamsville East) had three.

The next pair of matches for the men will come this Saturday, February 22 at Nazareth. D'Youville will play Elizabethtown at 2:00pm while taking on the host Golden Flyers at 4:00pm.

Wolves Downed in Four Sets by Nazareth
keukaathletics.com
Wednesday, February 19, 2020

KEUKA PARK, N.Y. — The Keuka College Men's Volleyball team lost to Nazareth College 3-1 on Wednesday night at the JMW Recreation and Athletics Center.

Keuka College (5-7) was led by Gavin Record with a career-high-tying 15 kills. Kamren Record posted 28 assists and added five blocks for the Wolves.

Nazareth College 3 at Keuka College 1 – 25-13, 24-26, 25-23, 25-23

It was a tight opening set between the Golden Flyers and the Wolves. The match was tied 10 times to get to a 10-10 score. Nazareth created separation from Keuka midway through the set and carried it throughout. The Golden Flyers scored 15 of the final 18 points to win the first set 25-13.

A block by Solomon Shabazz and Kamren Record gave the Wolves a 6-4 lead to start the second set. The Wolves extended their lead. An ace from Marcus Davic gave the Green and Gold a 14-9 advantage. The Golden Flyers would come back to tie the second at 15-15. The second would come down to the final points. In the end, Marcus Davic delivered a kill for the Wolves to end the set at 26-24 and drawing the match level.

The Green and Gold took a quick 7-1 lead thanks in part to a pair of aces by Brad McKnight. Nazareth would come back and take a 13-11 lead over the Wolves. The Wolves would tie the set multiple times and take a lead on a kill by McKnight to make it 19-18. Another kill my McKnight would later give Keuka the advantage again at 22-21. However, the Golden Flyers responded to close out the third set 25-23, taking a 2-1 lead in the match.

Nazareth College took cue from Keuka in the third set as the Golden Flyers opened the fourth with a 7-1 advantage. Keuka would cut the Nazareth lead down to one multiple times, but they were unable to draw the set level until a kill by Emmett O'Brien made it 17-17. The set would be tied many times down the stretch, last being knotted up at 23-23. Nazareth College pulled out the final two points to win the fourth set 25-23 and the match 3-1.

KC Notes:

Keuka College falls to 0-6 all-time to Nazareth College.

It was the second time the Wolves and Golden Flyers played to four sets. The first time was the first match and only other time that Nazareth travelled to Keuka Park

Joining Kamren Record with five blocks in the match was Emmett O'Brien. Overall, the Wolves had 11 blocks in the match

Marcus Davic added a pair of blocks to move to tenth on the career blocks list at Keuka College

Up Next for Keuka College: The Wolves have a break before returning to the court in March. Keuka College will next be in action on Friday, March 6 as the Wolves host Randolph-Macon College to open the Keuka College Invitational.

Marymount Men's volleyball splits tri-match, sweeps Misericordia
marymountsaints.com
Saturday, February 15, 2020

ARLINGTON, Va. – The Marymount University men's volleyball team split with No. 8 Rutgers University-Newark and Misericordia University on Saturday afternoon, in a tri-match at the Converse Family Fieldhouse.

Rutgers-Newark 3, Marymount 1 (25-21, 25-15, 21-25, 25-22)

In a close first set, the Saints took an early, 9-7, lead on a block from sophomore Ervin Harrell and freshman Hayden Kerekes, but the Scarlet Raiders came back with a 5-0 run to take a 12-9 lead.

Kills from Harrell and senior Sam Safley knotted the score, 13-13, and the teams continued to trade points through the remainder of the set.

Another Harrell kill gave Marymount a late, 18-17, edge, but Rutgers-Newark finished with an 8-3 run for the win.

Marymount took another early lead in the second, off a kill from Kerekes, 6-5, but the Scarlet Raiders' next point sparked a 20-9 advantage through the rest of the set, building the 2-0 match lead.

The third set saw the Saints begin to pull away, following another close start. With the score tied, 10-10, Safley used a block and a service ace to lead a 7-2 run for Marymount, capped by a kill from sophomore Miles Olson.

Marymount continued to hold its lead, but Rugers-Newark got the score back to within three, 24-21, before Safley put down a kill to take the set.

The teams continued the theme of the match, with another close start in the fourth set. Neither team was able to pull away by more than two points, while kills from Harrell and Safley helped the Saints take a 13-12 advantage.

However, a 6-0 run for the Scarlet Raiders looked to end the match, but Marymount would not go away easy.

Safley and Harrell, each, added another kill in the late moments, while Kerekes tallied an ace to bring the Saints to within one, 22-21, but Rutgers-Newark would not give in and held on for the win.

Safley led with 15 kills, while Harrell tallied nine kills and 11 digs. Senior Joseph Zanelotti notched 35 assists.

Marymount 3, Misericordia 0 (25-20, 25-16, 25-20)

The Saints ended the day on a strong note, earning the sweep. Three-straight kills from freshman Haden Franken, followed by an ace by classmate Grayson Andrews, helped build a 10-6 lead for the team to start the match.

Marymount stayed in control the rest of the way, despite the Cougars cutting the lead down to three, 19-16.

Franken responded with another kill and an ace, while Safley added two late kills, to grab a 1-0 lead.

Misericordia opened the second set on a 7-5 lead, but an 11-3 run for Marymount flipped the momentum. Kerekes got things going with a kill, while Safley tallied three kills and an assisted block, with Kerekes, to lead the way.

Franken capped the run with a kill, and the Saints cruised to a two-set lead, in the match.

Looking to put the match away, Marymount built a five-point lead, 14-9, as Perkins put down four kills in the opening run.

Franken added his final kill to keep the lead, 18-14, before Safley tacked on three more to help close the set for the win.

Safley led with 14 kills, while Franken tallied 11 for the first double-digit game of his career.

Zanelotti tallied 34 assists to lead the team, while sophomore Chris Manganiello paced the defense with 10 digs.

The Saints will hit the road for their next match, taking on Continental Volleyball Conference-foe Randolph-Macon College on Tuesday, March 3. The match is set for 7 p.m.

Harvard Men’s Volleyball Upsets No. 13 George Mason in Four Sets
gocrimson.com
Saturday, February 15, 2020

FAIRFAX, Va. – The Harvard men's volleyball team (8-3, 2-1) delivered an upset to No. 13 George Mason (7-5, 2-1 EIVA) today, Feb. 15, defeating the Patriots 3-1. The Crimson earned the victory by set scores of 25-21, 26-24, 16-25 and 25-17.

Offensively, junior Griffin Schmit led Harvard in kills with 15, while sophomores Campbell Schoenfeld and Eric Li each totaled 11 and 10 kills, respectively. Three members of the Crimson earned a hitting percentage above .300, with sophomore Ryan Hong hitting a .500 clip, recording five kills on 10 attempts. Senior captain Matthew Ctvrtlik had 40 assists to lead the team.

At the service line, Schmit recorded the lone ace for Harvard in the match.

Defensively, senior captain Chase Howard had a team-high 12 digs, followed closely by Ctvrtlik who totaled 11. First-year Ethan McCrary recorded a career-high nine blocks, one solo and eight block assists. Ctvrtlik also had a career high in blocks, tallying six block assists.

Harvard Highlights

Schmit only recorded one attacking error in the match.

Howard moves up to a tie for fourth in the NCAA with 2.58 digs per set.

Ctvrtlik has posted 40 or more assists in six matches so far this season.

This is Harvard's first win over a ranked opponent since a 3-2 victory over then-No. 15 George Mason during the 2017 season.

Up Next

The Crimson returns home for matches against Saint Francis (Pa.) and No. 10 Penn State on Feb. 21 and 22, respectively. On Friday action will start at 7 p.m., while Sunday's match is set to begin at 4 p.m. Both matches will be broadcast on ESPN+.

No. 6 Wells Men’s Volleyball Team Sweeps Pair of NEAC Opponents
wells-express.com
Saturday, February 15, 2020

The No. 6 Wells College men's volleyball team defeated visiting SUNY Potsdam and Keuka College by 3-0 scores on Saturday, Feb. 15.

The Express opened the day with a 25-6 first-set win over Potsdam before giving a majority of the starters a rest in finishing off the Bears with set wins of 25-23 and 25-20.

Robert Patzer led the team in kills with seven with an attacking percentage at .600. Jackson Lieber and Walker Nichols each recorded a team-high five digs, while a pair of blocks each came from Cooper Colesante, Lieber and Patzer. Darean Schug served up a pair of aces.

Against Keuka, Wells won by set scores of 25-17, 25-20 and 25-18, respectively. Again, Patzer led the way on the attack with a dozen kills, while also producing a team-high seven digs. Of the team's eight aces, a combined five of those came from Josh Undari (three) and Caden O'Loughlin (two).

The Express travel to Buffalo next weekend with two matches against NCAA D-II Daemen with the first match at 12 p.m. followed by a 3 p.m. bout.

Wildcats Complete Perfect Weekend With 3-1 Win Over Penn State Altoona
Daemen Goes Undefeated During Wells College Classic Tournament
Tom McDermott, Sports Information Consultant, daemenwildcats.com
Saturday, February 15, 2020

AURORA, N.Y. - The Daemen College men's volleyball team completed a perfect weekend and ran its winning streak to five-straight matches by posting a 3-1 (25-17, 25-21, 21-25, 25-21) victory over Penn State Altoona here today during second-day action of the Wells College Classic Tournament.

Daemen, a NCAA Division II independent, has now won eight of its last 10 matches and improved to 8-5 on the year. Penn State Altoona, a member of NCAA Division III and the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC), dropped to 5-6 with the loss.

Daemen posted wins over SUNY Potsdam (3-0) and tournament host Wells (3-2) during the opening round Friday night. Wells entered the weekend ranked sixth in the latest American Volleyball Coaches Association Division III national poll.

IMPACT PLAYERS

Freshman Zach Schneider (Lockport N.Y.) equaled his season-high with 19 kills and also totaled two aces and four digs. He has now posted double-digit kills in four straight matches.

Graduate student Zach Yerington (Hamburg, N.Y.), sophomore Kyle Kon (Oswego, N.Y.) and redshirt sophomore Brandon Casterline (North Tonawanda, N.Y.) all finished with seven kills for the Wildcats, who posted a 55-35 advantage in kills for the match.

Freshman Gavin Musielak (Eden, N.Y.) posted a team-high 34 assists for the Wildcats, which marks the second time this season he has reached 30 or more assists in a match.

Sophomore Ben Beaver paced the Lions with 13 kills, while senior Frank Perehinec added 10 kills and 10 digs. Freshman Tyler Sheaffer dished out 28 assists and registered eight digs.

SET-BY-SET SUMMARY (Not Available)

MATCH NOTES

Today's match marked the first-ever meeting between the two programs.

Daemen has already posted more wins this season than it did in its inaguarlai season last year. The Wildcats fielded a roster entirely of first-year college players last spring and closed out the year with a 6-17 record.

The Wildcats boast a 17-man roster this year, essentially doubling the amount of available bodies from a year ago. The roster includes eight returners and nine newcomers.

Penn State Altoona returns 10 players from last year's team that went 13-15 overall and 5-9 in the AMCC.

Sophomore Michael Krueger (Canonsburg, Pa.) totaled 12 assists today and now stands 17 assists shy of 1,000 for his career.

NEXT SERVE

Daemen is idle until Feb. 23 when it travels to Medaille College for a tri-match. The Wildcats will face Medaille and Elmira College.

Ray Tallies Double-Double in Sweep of Randolph-Macon
keanathletics.com
Saturday, February 15, 2020

ASHLAND, VA. (2/15/20) – Jared Ray tallied a double-double with 25 kills and 10 digs as the Kean University men's volleyball team swept Randolph-Macon College, 3-0 in straight sets on Saturday.

Seth Russell finished with 10 kills and four digs for the Cougars who improve to 4-9 overall and 2-1 in the Continental Volleyball Conference. Lee Olenyik totaled 11 kills and five digs for the Yellow Jackets who fall to 3-10 overall and 1-3 in the CVC.

Ray reached the 20 kill mark in back-to-back matches and for the third time this season as the rookie hit .550 with just three errors.

Kean hit .347 as a unit and held RMC to a .198 hitting percentage. The Cougars hit north of .250 across all three sets, including a .484 percentage in the 29-27 set one victory.

The opening set saw Ray post eight kills as Kean survived a late rally from the Yellow Jackets who were able to hold off set point. Kean led 24-19, before the home team went on a 7-1 run to jump in front at 26-25. Kean answered by closing the set with a 4-1 run that included a kill and an ace from Russell.

The middle set saw Ray put down 11 kills with just one error. After trailing 19-18, Kean used a 7-2 run to close out the set with Ray accounting for three kills.

The final set mirrored the second set as Kean trailed 22-21 when a timeout was called. The Cougars regrouped and scored the final four points of the match with kills by Russell and Kevin Molina as well as an assisted block from Leonel Maizonet and Maxim Kostin. 

Molina finished with six kills, three digs and three block assists, while Zach Gerken handed out 34 assists and Jonathan Meyer collected eight digs.

Head Coach Charlie Ginex and the Cougars will return to action on Sunday, Feb. 23rd, hosting the Cougars of Misericordia University and Wildcats of SUNY Poly for a tri-match beginning at 12:00 p.m.

Red Flash Comes Up Short Against #11 Princeton
Mike McNabb, sfuathletics.com
Saturday, February 15, 2020

Loretto, Pa. – The Saint Francis men's volleyball team (3-8, 0-2 EIVA) fell in five sets to #11 Princeton (6-5, 4-1 EIVA) on Friday night after leading the match, 2-1.

Set One
· Both teams came out strong, trading points and seeing back and forth scoring until Princeton took the game's first two-point lead (12-10).
· The Tigers caught a stride and used a 11-4 run to reach a lead of seven (21-14).
· SFU made a late push in the set to cut the Tigers lead to four, but it wasn't enough as Princeton finished the Red Flash by six.
· Michael Fisher (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley) and Christian Graziano (Williamsville, N.Y./Willamsville South) each registered three kills and Blake Liprando (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley HS) and Brandon Dunz (Lake View, NY/Frontier Senior High School) each added two.
· Roman Szwabinsky (Columbus, Ohio/Westerville South) picked up 11 assists.
· Final Score: #11 Princeton 25, SFU 19 (Princeton leads 1-0).

Set Two
· SFU jumped out to an early 5-1 lead after a Joshua Blair (Matterson. Illnois/Marian Catholic) service ace and a few Princeton errors.
· The Red Flash maintained a lead and reached its largest gap at 13-8 before Princeton used its own run to even the set at 14.
· Princeton continued its run and eventually reached a lead of 18-15.
· The Red Flash channeled the Tigers run and tied the set at 22 apiece.
· With three points to go, the teams saw ties at 23 and 24, then SFU scored the final two points and won the set on a huge team block.
· Fisher and Graziano each had two kills in the set.
· SFU tallied 10 digs in the frame.
· Final Score: SFU 26, #11 Princeton 24 (Tied 1-1)

Set Three
· The teams traded blows to 3-3 again, then each team used a 3-0 run to meet back up at six.
· From there, neither team saw a lead more than two until SFU went up 15-12.
· The Red Flash continued to add to its lead with kills by Blake Liprando (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley HS) and Joshua Blair (Matterson. Illnois/Marian Catholic), reaching five at 19-14.
· The deficit forced a Princeton timeout, and after the timeout, the teams continued to trade points until the Red Flash finished the set out by eight.
· Michael Fisher (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley) picked up five kills in the set while Brandon Dunz (Lake View, NY/Frontier Senior High School) added three.
· Szwabinsky contributed 13 assists.
· Blake Liprando (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley HS) and Fisher each made three digs.
· Final Score: SFU 25, #11 Princeton 17 (SFU leads, 2-1).

Set Four
· SFU jumped out to a 5-3 lead and held it until Princeton tied it at 7.
· The teams continued the trend of exchanging points, staying within two of each other for the entire rest of the set.
· Tied at 23, Princeton took the lead but a service error allowed the Red Flash to nod it at 24.
· The teams also saw ties at 25-31 before a Tigers kill and Red Flash error allowed Princeton to take the set.
· Fisher picked up six kills in the set, and Liprando added three.
· Szwabinsky added 11 more assists.
· Fisher and Alu each had three digs.
· Final Score: #11 Princeton 33, SFU 31 (Tied 2-2)

Set Five
· Princeton took an early 3-0 lead, but SFU immediately tied it at three.
· Princeton took the lead back and began to pull away, reaching a lead of 11-4.
· SFU and Princeton traded points for the rest of the set, and the Tigers won by five.
· Fisher had two more kills and Szwabinsky had three more assists.
· Final Score: #11 Princeton 15, SFU 10 (Princeton wins, 3-2).

Box Score Notes

· Michael Fisher (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley) led the match with 18 kills.
· Blake Liprando (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley HS), Brandon Dunz (Lake View, NY/Frontier Senior High School) and Christian Graziano (Williamsville, N.Y./Willamsville South) each had eight kills.
· Roman Szwabinsky (Columbus, Ohio/Westerville South) led the match with 41 assists.
· Fisher also had nine digs, and Ryan Alu (Pipersville, PA/Central Bucks West) added six.
· Dunz had a match-high seven block assists.
· Kills were 50-43 in favor of SFU.
· SFU also had five more assists than Princeton (45-40).
· The Red Flash totaled 12 team blocks compared to six from the Tigers.
· Princeton hit .145 while SFU hit .133

Up next for the Red Flash is a weekend trip to New England, where they will take on EIVA foes Harvard and Sacred Heart on Friday night (2/21) and Saturday afternoon (2/22).

No. 10 Nittany Lions Sweep EIVA Weekend With 3-0 Win Over NJIT
gopsusports.com
Saturday, February 15, 2020

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The No. 10 Penn State men's volleyball team swept its first weekend of EIVA conference play with its second victory of the weekend, a 3-0 win (25-22, 25-20, 25-20) over NJIT in Rec Hall's South Gym Saturday night.

Penn State (6-6, 2-0 EIVA) was the only EIVA team to sweep both its conference matches this weekend with its win over the Highlanders (6-4, 1-2 EIVA) and Princeton Friday night.

HOW IT HAPPENED

NJIT started off hot to lead 13-8 after a four-point run and Penn State called its first timeout. The timeout allowed Penn State to regroup and the Nittany Lions went on a six-point run to retake the lead 14-13. Henrik Falck Lauten had a pair of kills and block, Jason Donorovich had two blocks, and Brett Wildman's serve run included an ace.

Wildman had a great offensive set overall, leading Penn State with eight kills versus only one error in the set. He also had support from Henrik Falck Lauten, who started a bit slow but had four kills late in the frame and Cal Fisher, whose second kill was the game clincher for the Nittany Lions at 25-22.

In the second set, Penn State took the initial surge with four out of five points to lead 8-6, but NJIT had a three-point response to take a 9-8 edge.

Another run in the middle of the set for the Nittany Lions flipped momentum back to the Blue and White. Donorovich was in the heart of the run with a pair of kills and a block and the Highlanders called timeout trailing 13-10.

The Highlanders scored four of the next five to tie the score 14-all but another four-point run, this time Penn State's way, put the Nittany Lions right back in the driver's seat, capped by a Donorovich service ace.

Penn State maintained control the rest of the game by maintaining at least a three-point margin to win the frame by five. The Nittany Lions hit .355 and .333 in the first two games.

The Nittany Lions offense showed no signs of slowing down in the third set by taking an early 6-3 lead after back-to-back kills by Falck Lauten. NJIT managed to keep the set close until Fisher stepped to the service line with the Nittany Lions leading 17-14.

Behind Fisher's serve, Penn State put NJIT off balance and ended up with a pair a huge blocks to lead by five, the same score they would win by to finish the match.

HEAR IT FROM THEM

Head Coach Mark Pavlik
I'm real pleased with our pass and serve game. Will's been playing at a level that I haven't seen with passing here since the days of maybe Ricky Mattei and Dennis [Del Valle] late in his career and Jason Kepner back in that '94, '95, '96 era. I can't say enough about the consistency that our approach was this week coming into this weekend and how we carried that through, certainly yesterday and today.

Senior Jason Donorovich
On how PSU took handled NJIT's physicality: I think it was just trusting each other. The defense trusts our block to kind of slow things down and take really big parts of the court and then we trust them to get big time digs and we work hard to get them in transition on those big guys. [NJIT is] physical. They take big swings and they try to pick apart your block, so you just have to trust your abilities and trust those around you and we'll be alright like tonight."

Redshirt Sophomore Will Bantle
On his defensive mentality: "I think there is more of like an intensity in some of these games. Yeah it's positioning and all of these different things but when you get a feel for these players then there is a big block in front of it and you know where the block is going to be. It makes my job pretty easy. It's just wait for the ball to come and try to dig it pretty much, keep it off the floor."

MIKE ANDERSON MAN OF THE MATCH
Brett Wildman was the focal point of Penn State's offense once again, finishing with a game-high 17 kills and hitting .560 (17-3-25). Wildman was excellent in game one with eight kills and no errors (.727). He also had an ace, but his serve was also very disruptive all evening for the Highlanders offense.

NOTABLE STATS

Cal Fisher was effective from all areas of the court for the Nittany Lions. He had eight kills at .389, seven digs, and was extremely effective at the service line with a match-best three aces.

Will Bantle had 12 digs and went 15-15 on serve receive. It was his second double-digit dig performance of 2020.

Henrik Falck Lauten was third on Penn State with 10.5 points off eight kills, three blocks, and an ace.

Jason Donorovich finished with five blocks and added five kills and a service ace.

Penn State's .345 team hitting percentage was its first team hitting percentage over .300 since Jan. 26 vs. USC (.381).

NEXT UP

Penn State makes its annual New England trip next weekend, Feb. 21-22, with matches at Sacred Heart and Harvard.

Ramblers Rally Falls Short In Five Sets
Kyle Piekarski (14 kills) and Devin Joslyn (10 digs) recorded career-highs in the loss
loyolaramblers.com
Saturday, February 15, 2020

In Short

The Loyola University Chicago men's volleyball team came back from a 2-0 deficit, winning the third and fourth set before falling to Lindenwood, 3-2 tonight in St. Charles, Mo. The Ramblers move to 4-9 (1-2 MIVA), while Lindenwood improves to 8-4 (2-0 MIVA). Kyle Piekarski (14 kills) and Devin Joslyn (10 digs) recorded career-highs for the Ramblers.

How It Happened

Lindenwood took an early 7-4 lead on Loyola in the first set, despite a kill from Jake Maffett and an ace from Kyle Piekarski. After pushing to a six-point lead, the Ramblers were forced to take a timeout. After a block from Ian Cowen and Anton Frank, the Ramblers were able to bring it within three. Cole Schlothauer followed up with a kill, slamming it down in the far back corner of the court to only trail by two, 20-18. After a Lindenwood timeout and another kill from Schlothauer, the Ramblers snagged a 21-20 lead. The teams battled into extra points, eventually tying 25-25. The Lions had the final say, winning the set 29-27. 

Loyola took its largest lead of the match in set two, building off a 3-0 run to take a 10-6 lead. Lindenwood answered with a 6-0 sprint and never looked back, winning set two, 25-17.

Despite being down two sets, the Ramblers fought hard in the third set, starting with a 7-5 lead highlighted by a kill and an ace from Piekarski. Schlothauer helped the Ramblers extend the lead further, moving to a 14-10 advantage. Lindenwood would go on to a 4-1 run to force a Loyola timeout, but the Ramblers came back and used a few attack and service errors by the Lions to their advantage. Loyola would go on to win the set, 25-20.

Never shying away from the lead, the Ramblers took a 14-10 advantage in the fourth set. Loyola then forced a Lindenwood timeout after pulling away 17-12. With the score at 20-16, Lindenwood attempted to close the gap, but the Ramblers were tougher. Piekarski registered another kill and a block with Frank and the Ramblers took off on a 5-0 run to seal the 25-16 victory.

Lindenwood kicked off the final set with a 4-0 lead and the Ramblers struggled to come back. The Lions ended up winning the match with a final 15-9 set win.

A Look At The Numbers

- Devin Joslyn recorded a career-high 10 digs and Kyle Piekarski picked up a career-high 14 kills.
- Cole Schlothauer (18), Kyle Piekarski (14) and Joslyn (11) each recorded double-digit kills. 
- Piekarski (six) and Ian Cowen (five) each registered season-highs in blocks.
- The Ramblers recorded eight aces as a team, with Kyle Piekarski and Luke Denton each contributing two. 
- Lindenwood led Loyola in all catergories except for aces.

Up Next

The Ramblers are back at Gentile Arena to host Ohio State (Feb. 21) and Ball State (Feb. 22) to continue MIVA play. Both matches start at 7 p.m.

Medaille Men's Volleyball Splits Saturday Double Header in Utica
Shawn Barbalato led the Mavs with (18) kills on the day
medaillesports.com
Saturday, February 15, 2020

Barbalato led the team with (18) kills over the two games

UTICA, NY - The Men's Volleyball team traveled to Utica, NY this afternoon for two matches, the first match was against Lancaster Bible College, and the second was against SUNY Poly. The Mavericks were looking to stay in the win column after beating Keuka the night before.

In the first match of the day the Mavericks could not get much going despite their hard fought effort.

Lancaster Bible won the match in three straight sets. The Chargers took set one by a score of (25-15), set two by a score of (25-13), and set three (19-25).

Shawn Barbalato (Williamsville, NY, Williamsville South) led the Mavericks in game one with (7) kills and one service ace. Malachi Jackson (Cheektowaga, NY, Cheektowaga Central) continued his strong play from the team's match against Keuka one day prior. Jackson recorded another (5) kills for the team.

Game two was a different story for the Mavericks, one in which they won in a five set thriller (3-2).

Despite an early run from the Wildcats that put them up (5-0) in the first set, the Mavericks would not go away. Eventually the Mavericks came back and won the set by a score of (26-24).

The second set was a see-saw battle that saw the score tied at (20-20). Ultimately the Wildcats pulled away and won the set (25-22).

In a thriller of a third set, that again needed extra points to decide the winner, the Mavericks went the distance just edged out the Wildcats (30-28).

With SUNY Poly winning (20-18) late in the fourth set, the Mavericks made things interesting creeping up and only losing the set by two points (25-23).

The Mavericks jumped out to an early (8-1) lead in the fifth set with SUNY Poly's only point coming from a Maverick service error. The blue and gold kept their foot on the gas and took the set by a score of (15-7).

The victory was powered by solid performances from the entire team, most notably so Shawn Barbalato. Barbalato recorded (11) kills, (3) service aces, (3) block assists, good for (15.5) points on the night.

Matt Dickerson (Lockport, NY, Starpoint) also was stellar for the blue and gold, contributing (9) kills and (4) block assists. Chris Pauline Jr. (North Tonawanda, NY, North Tonawanda) added (8) kills for the team, while Nick Patterson (Amherst, NY, Amherst Central) and Malachi Jackson each added (7) kills of their own.

The Mavericks will return to action on Wednesday, February 19th when they will make their Sullivan Center debut for the 2020 season. The team will take on Thiel College at 7pm.

Wolves Split NEAC Matches at Wells College
keukaathletics.com
Saturday, February 15, 2020

AURORA, N.Y. — The Keuka College Men's Volleyball team split a pair of North Eastern Athletic Conference matches on Saturday at Wells College.

Keuka College (5-6, 3-1 NEAC) swept SUNY Potsdam to start the day, but ended with a three-set sweep to nationally-ranked Wells College to close the afternoon.

Keuka College 3 vs. SUNY Potsdam 0 – 25-20, 26-24, 25-18

The Wolves jumped out to an early 6-1 advantage over the Bears on Saturday. SUNY Potsdam would cut the lead to one, but the Wolves regained control of the set. Cole Riley delivered the kill for the Wolves as Keuka took the opening set 25-20.

Potsdam would have the lead as the second set was much closer. It would go down to the final points. With the set tied 24-24, Keuka got a block by Alex Boglev and Emmett O'Brien to get the advantage. Keuka then took the second set following an error by the Bears as the Wolves took a 2-0 lead in the match.

After being close early, Keuka would extend their third set lead to as many as nine points at 21-12. It was Cole Riley again to end it for the Wolves. The junior got his fifth kill of the match to end the third set 25-18 as Keuka College swept the match.

Lead Wolf: Five kills by Riley was a career-high, but another career-high led the Keuka College attack. Sophomore John Kean led the Wolves with a career-best nine kills in the win.

#6 Wells College 3 vs. Keuka College 0 – 25-17, 25-20, 25-18

The Express took the lead over the Wolves, but Keuka rallied to take a 10-8 in the opening set. The hosts responded with seven unanswered points to build a 15-10 advantage. The Wolves would cut the deficit to one, but that would be as close as it got in the set as Wells defeated Keuka 25-17.

Keuka College took a lead early against the Express. Emmett O'Brien hit a kill for the Green and Gold to take a 16-12 lead. Wells College scored five straight to take the lead. A kill by Gavin Record snapped the run, but Wells scored the next four points to build a lead. The Express took a 2-0 lead in the match, winning the second set 25-20.

After an even start, Wells College converted seven of eight points to take an 18-10 lead. The Express saw the match out as they won the third 25-18 to sweep the match.

Lead Wolf: Brad McKnight led the Wolves with 10 kills against the Express.

KC Notes:

It was the first ever meeting between Keuka College and SUNY Potsdam in volleyball. It is the first year of the program for the Bears. SUNY Postdam is an associate member in the North Eastern Athletic Conference

Keuka College had eight blocks as a team against SUNY Potsdam. Solomon Shabazz led the effort with five blocks in the first match

The Wolves lost their sixth straight to Wells College. The Express lead the all-time series 11-4

It was the ninth match for Keuka College against a nationally-ranked team. The Wolves are 0-9 in those matches

Gavin Record had six kills against the Express. The junior now has 264 in his career, tying Jared Kucko for ninth in program history

With the win against SUNY Potsdam, Keuka started the conference season with a 3-0 record for the first time in program history.

Up Next for Keuka College: The Wolves return home on Wednesday to host Nazareth College in a non-conference matchup. The Golden Flyers and Wolves will start at 7pm from the JMW Recreation and Athletics Center.

Spartan Men Earn First Win of Season to Close out Weekend
athletics.dyc.edu
Saturday, February 15, 2020

Reading, PA - The D'Youville men's volleyball team concluded their time at Alvernia on Saturday afternoon, falling to the Baruch Bearcats 3-1 and defeating the Neumann Knights 3-0.

D'Youville jumped out to a 7-3 early in their first match of the day. Baruch would then make a comeback to take over the lead at 10-8 as the two teams would go back-and-forth throughout the first. Tied at 20, the Spartans would close out the first strong as they took the first 25-22.

Like in the first, the Spartans would get out to an early lead in the second. D'Youville led 9-2 and again at 14-8 before the Bearcats would come roaring back by scoring 12 of the next 15 points to lead 20-17. The Spartans would get back to within one of the Baruch lead, but they were unable to take the second as they fell 22-25.

The third and fourth sets saw the Bearcats get out to early leads that the Spartans were unable to overcome. Baruch led 16-5 on their way to a 25-11 third set win and then went ahead 15-7 in the fourth before winning 25-14, taking the match 3-1.

Dan Busha (Hamburg, NY/St. Francis) led the team with a career-high 12 kills, adding a career-high 10 digs for his first career double-double. Ali Khadra (Williamsville, NY/Williamsville East) added eight kills with three blocks. Karl Jauch (Lockport, NY/Starpoint) recorded 25 assists while Mitch Mason (Eden, NY/Eden) tallied 11 digs.

Joshua Hoy (Grand Island, NY/Grand Island) and Anthony Dean (Niagara Falls, NY/Niagara Falls) had seven digs each while Danny Steck (Lancaster, NY/St. Francis) registered five kills. Troy Stancampiano (Williamsville, NY/Williamsville East) recorded a service ace in the match.

In their second match of the day, the Spartans turned in their strongest match of the weekend. D'Youville led 8-4 early in the first set before Neumann would come back to trail 11-12. The set would stay close late as the teams were tied at 21, but the Spartans would pull away late to win the first 25-22.

As they did in the second, D'Youville would lead 8-4 before going on a big run to lead 17-9. The lead for the Spartans grew to 10 at 21-11 and then 23-17 as they would win the second set 25-20.

The strongest set of the match for the Spartans came in the third. Despite holding a two-point lead at 8-6, D'Youville would turn up the intensity. The men would close out the match with a 6-0 run as they won the third 25-15 and the match 3-0.

Busha recorded his second career match of the day with 20 kills and 10 digs for his second consecutive double-double. Khadra added 11 kills and five digs. Jauch tallied a season-high 39 assists while Mason had a career-high 15 digs.

Steck added seven kills in the match while Hoy tallied four. Will Anderson (Lake View, NY/Frontier) registered two digs with Dean adding six. Stancampiano and Juan Centeno (Williamsville, NY/Williamsville North) each saw extended playing time in the win.

The next match for the Spartans will come this Wednesday, February 19 as they host Penn State-Behrend at 7:00pm.

Saints celebrate Valentine's Day with 3-1 win over Kean
marymountsaints.com
Friday, February 14, 2020

ARLINGTON, Va. – The Marymount University men's volleyball team earned its second-straight Continental Volleyball Conference victory on Friday night, defeating Kean University, 3-1, at the Converse Family Fieldhouse.

The Saints got off to a hot start, winning the first set, led by a .556 hitting percentage and 15 kills with no attack errors.

Kean was the team to take the initial lead, pushing it to 12-9, but the Saints fought back with a 10-4 run. Senior Sam Safley got up for a block, while putting down two kills, to lead the way, before freshman Hayden Kerekes put the exclamation point on the comeback, with a kill.

The Cougars were able to tie the score, 22-22, but a kill from sophomore Jason Perkins and a service ace from Safley helped give the Saints a 1-0 lead.

Despite the Saints taking a early lead in the second set, 13-10, Kean was able to come back to take the advantage with a 9-3 run, before going on to tie the match with a 25-22 win.

Kean, again, jumped out to an early lead to start the third, 8-5, and grew the edge to 13-10. However, two-straight kills from Safley, and a kill, each, from sophomores Miles Olson and Ervin Harrell gained a 14-13 lead for Marymount.

The Cougars came back with another run and held a late, 22-19 advantage, but six-straight points from the Saints regained the match lead. Perkins and Safley, each, tallied two kills, before senior Joseph Zanelotti capped the win with a kill.

Marymount took early control in the fourth set, as three kills from Harrell lead a 14-7 opening run.

The Cougars would not go down easy, bring the score back to 15-13, but two-more kills from Safley regained a five-point lead.

Kean cut back into the Saints' lead, 20-19, late, and the teams traded points to 22-21, but Harrell put down another kill to spark the final three points the Saints needed for the win.

Safley got up for a solo block to end the match for the win.

Safley led the team with 19 kills, as four Saints reached double-digit kills. Olson tallied 13, while Harrell and Perkins added 12 and 10, respectively. Harrell added 10 digs, as well, for the double-double, while Zanelotti tallied 45 assists.

The Saints will return to action on Saturday, February 15 in a tri-match with Rutgers University-Newark and Misericordia University. Marymount will begin the day against Rugers-Newark, set for 1 p.m.

Cougars Drop CVC Match to Marymount
keanathletics.com
Friday, February 14, 2020

ARLINGTON, Va. (2/14/20) – Jared Ray tallied at least 20 kills for just the second time this season as the Kean University men's volleyball team dropped a Continental Volleyball Conference match to Marymount University, 3-1 on Friday evening.

Sam Safley finished with 19 kills and posted a .500 hitting percentage for the Saints who improve to 8-8 overall and 2-1 in the CVC. Ray totaled 21 kills and six digs for the Cougars who fall to 3-9 overall and 1-1 in the CVC.

Marymount captured a tight opening set by hitting .556 with no errors in the 25-22 victory. Kean bounced back to capture set two 25-22 as Kean posted a .321 hitting percentage and Ray tallied six kills. The Cougars trailed by as much as three early, but a 9-3 run during the middle of the set that propelled Kean in front at 19-16. Ray and Kevin Molina each posted timely kills to help the Cougars stay in front.

The third set saw back and forth play before the Cougars used a 6-1 run to take a 19-15 lead. The Saints responded by closing the set with a 10-3 run, including Ervin Harrell serving for the last five points.

Kean fell behind 14-7 in set four and was able to bring the Marymount advantage down to one point on two separate occasions, but the Saints recorded another .300 hitting percentage to propel the home squad to the victory.

Seth Russell finished with seven kills and 11 digs, while Maxim Kostin finished with seven kills and a .583 hitting percentage. Molina and Leonel Maizonet each totaled six kills, while Molina collected 10 digs in the process. Zach Gerken totaled a season-high 42 assists in the loss.

Head Coach Charlie Ginex and the Cougars will return to action in Ashland, Va. on Saturday Feb. 15th, against the Yellow Jackets of Randolph Macon at 11:00 a.m.

Medaille Men's Volleyball Completes Comeback vs. Keuka Wolves
Malachi Jackson has career high in kills for the game
medaillesports.com
Friday, February 14, 2020

KEUKA PARK, NY - The Men's Volleyball team traveled to Keuka for a match up against the Wolves. The Mavs went into the match looking to get back to their winning ways after a four game skid.

The Mavs did just that completing a comeback win (3-2) over Keuka College.

In the first set the Wolves jumped out to a quick ten point lead and the Mavericks were never able to claw their way back. Keuka took set one (25-15).

Set two saw just the opposite, the Mavericks jumped out to the early lead and were able to hang on for the set win (25-22).

With the match tied up, the Wolves took the win in the important third set. Keuka (25) - Mavericks (17).

There were four lead changes in the pivotal fourth set. The final lead change went in favor of the Mavericks in which they won the set by a score of (27-25). 

With the game on the line and the sets tied (2-2) it was winner take all. In a thriller of a set that saw a tied score six time, the Mavericks won the final two points securing the win. Outscoring the Wolves in the fifth set (15-13).

Freshman Malachi Jackson (Cheektowaga, NY, Cheektowaga Central) was instrumental for the Mavericks in the win over the Wolves. Jackson set a new career high for kills with (13), beating his previous best by five. Combining his one service ace Jackson scored (14) points for the team.

Matt Dickerson (Lockport, NY, Starpoint) also came up big for the Mavs scoring (13) points on (11) kills, one solo block, and one service ace.

Shawn Barbalato (Williamsville, NY, Williamsville South) also finished the game with double digit kills (10), also adding one service ace to his statistics.

The team will return to action tomorrow February 15th for two matches vs. Lancaster Bible College, and SUNY Poly. The first match is set to begin at 2:00pm the second set to begin at 4:00pm.

Red Flash Falls to NJIT in First Conference Match
sfuathletics.com
Friday, February 14, 2020

Loretto, Pa. – The Saint Francis men's volleyball team (3-7, 0-1 EIVA) dropped its first conference match to NJIT (6-3, 1-1 EIVA) on Friday night, 3-1.

Set One

· The Red Flash and Highlanders traded points to begin the match. It was quickly 3-3 before NJIT used a quick run to extend its lead to 10-5.
· The Highlanders continued their run, eventually reaching a lead of eight at 15-7.
· Three unforced NJIT errors and kills by Roman Szwabinsky (Columbus, Ohio/Westerville South) and Joshua Blair (Matterson. Illnois/Marian Catholic) allowed the Red Flash to claw back into the set, cutting the Highlanders lead to four at 18-14.
· For the rest of the set, the teams traded points, and NJIT won it by seven.
· Christian Graziano (Williamsville, N.Y./Willamsville South) led the Red Flash with three kills in the frame. Blair and Michael Fisher (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley) each added two.
· Roman Szwabinsky (Columbus, Ohio/Westerville South) picked up seven assists.
· Final Score: NJIT 25, SFU 18 (NJIT leads 1-0)

Set Two

· Once again, the set began with back and forth action. No team held a lead more than two points until the score was 7-4 in favor of the Red Flash.
· SFU continued to hold onto its 4-6 point lead for the majority of the second set.
· At 16-11, NJIT put together a run to cut into SFU's lead at 17-16.
· The set saw three one-point deficits in a row for the Highlanders before they were able to tie it at 20.
· NJIT took its first lead of the set at 22-21.
· After NJIT went up 24-23, SFU retook the lead 25-24 after a kill by Michael Fisher (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley).
· The teams traded a long final rally before Brandon Dunz (Lake View, NY/Frontier Senior High School) and Christian Graziano (Williamsville, N.Y./Willamsville South) came up with a block and a set win.
· Michael Fisher (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley) led the set with seven kills and Roman Szwabinsky (Columbus, Ohio/Westerville South) added two.
· Szwabinsky also added nine assists.
· Final Score: SFU 26, NJIT 24 (Tied 1-1)

Set Three

· The set began 3-3 for the third time in a row and continued to stay within two points until SFU took a 10-7 lead.
· SFU held onto its lead until NJIT tied the set at 13.
· NJIT took a two-point lead at 17-15, and pulled away to win by six.
· Four players each had two kills for the Red Flash in the set (Fisher, J. Blair, Dunz, Graziano).
· Szwabinsky continued to add to his assist total with eight.
· Ryan Alu (Pipersville, PA/Central Bucks West) registered three digs in the set and reached six total.
· Final Score: NJIT 25, SFU 19 (NJIT leads 2-1)

Set Four

· NJIT looked to close SFU out in the fourth and jumped out to a 5-2 lead.
· The Highlanders continued to extend the lead and SFU saw its deficit reach 11-5.
· NJIT held a 5-6 point lead while the teams traded points.
· After taking a 22-15 lead, NJIT scored three of the final four points to win by nine.
· Fisher led the set with five kills.
· Szwabinsky had four assists and Joseph Koszelak (North Tonawanda, N.Y./St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute) added three.
· Final Score: NJIT 25, SFU 16 (NJIT wins 3-0).

Box Score Notes

· Michael Fisher (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley) led the match with 16 kills. Joshua Blair (Matterson. Illnois/Marian Catholic), Brandon Dunz (Lake View, NY/Frontier Senior High School) and Christian Graziano (Williamsville, N.Y./Willamsville South) each added five.
· Roman Szwabinsky (Columbus, Ohio/Westerville South) led the match with 28 assists.
· Ryan Alu (Pipersville, PA/Central Bucks West) had a team-high seven digs.
· Brandon Dunz (Lake View, NY/Frontier Senior High School) tied the match-high with five block assists.
· Kills were 47-35 in favor of NJIT.
· NJIT has 44 assists compared to 32 for SFU.
· Attack percentages: NJIT .330, SFU .135.

Up next for the Red Flash is another home conference match, hosting #11 Princeton tomorrow (2/15) at 4 pm.

Loss to Golden Wolves Begins Spartan's Weekend at Alvernia
athletics.dyc.edu
Friday, February 14, 2020

Reading, PA - The D'Youville men's volleyball team opened up their weekend at Alvernia University on Friday evening with a lost to the host Alvernia Golden Wolves 3-0.

Alvernia jumped out to early lead in the first set at 8-3. They would then go on to double their lead to 17-7 on their way to a 25-10 first set victory.

The Spartans would regain their composure to begin the second set. D'Youville led 9-8 before Alvernia would go on a 13-0 scoring run to take over the second with a 21-9 lead. A short run from the Spartans would leave them trailing 22-15, but they would end up losing the second 25-17.

In the third, Alvernia would carry over their strong play from the second. The Golden Wolves led 7-3 and then 9-5 before going on a 16-4 run to end the third, winning the match 3-0.

Dan Busha (Hamburg, NY/St. Francis) led the team with seven kills while Ali Khadra (Williamsville, NY/Williamsville East) added six kills and two blocks. Karl Jauch (Lockport, NY/Starpoint) added two kills and five assists while Anthony Dean (Niagara Falls, NY/Niagara Falls) led the way with eight assists. Mitch Mason (Eden, NY/Eden) recorded a team-high seven digs.

D'Youville will remain at Alvernia to play two matches on Saturday against Baruch at 12:00pm and Neumann at 2:00pm.

Harvard Men’s Volleyball Drops Closely-Contested Match Against No. 13 George Mason
gocrimson.com
Friday, February 14, 2020

FAIRFAX, Va. – The Harvard men's volleyball team (7-3, 1-1 EIVA) dropped a five-set heartbreaker to No. 13 George Mason (6-4, 1-0 EIVA). After winning the first set, 25-22, the Crimson fell in the second and third sets by set scores of 32-30 and 25-23. Harvard mounted a comeback, taking the fourth set 25-21, but fell short in the fifth, 15-7.

Sophomore Campbell Schoenfeld posted a new career high in kills with 23 to the lead the team. Fellow sophomore Ryan Hong had the highest kill percentage on the night with a .667 clip, recording 10 kills on 15 attacks. Senior captain Matthew Ctvrtlik tallied 52 assists, a new career high as well.

At the service line, both junior Griffin Schmit and sophomore Eric Li had one ace.

Defensively, senior captain Chase Howard led the team in digs with 15, while Ctvrtlik had 10 digs of his own. Schoenfeld also recorded a career high in blocks with eight block assists, while Hong tied a career-high with seven.

Harvard Highlights

Schoenfeld totaled 54 attacks in the match, 14 more than his previous career high set during the 2019 season.

Four members of the Crimson recorded five or more blocks in the match.

Hong had zero receiving errors on the night.

Up Next

The Crimson will conclude its back-to-back series with George Mason tomorrow, Feb. 15 at 3 p.m. The match will be broadcast on ESPN+.

No. 10 PSU Men's Volleyball Starts EIVA Play Strong With 3-1 Win Over No. 11 Princeton
gopsusports.com
Friday, February 14, 2020

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The 10th-ranked Penn State men's volleyball team roared to a big comeback victory, winning three-straight sets to down No. 11 Princeton, 3-1 (20-25, 25-23, 25-20, 25-19) at Rec Hall Friday evening.

After dropping set one and grinding out a set two win, the Nittany Lions (5-6, 1-0 EIVA) hit .473 (33-7-55) in the third and fourth sets to roll to five and six-point wins in the last two games.

The Nittany Lions snapped Princeton's (5-5, 3-1 EIVA) three-match win streak with the win and ended the Tigers' five-match win streak over PSU since the 2018 season.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Both teams were tied 9-9 when the Nittany Lions went on a 5-0 run, with four points coming behind the serve of Brett Wildman. The run included an ace by the sophomore and two kills from senior Jason Donorovich.

Princeton slowly worked its way back with a four-point spurt later to pull within one at 16-15 and the Tigers eventually took lead at 19-18 and did not look back, ending the game on a 16-6 run after taking a timeout all the way back when Penn State led at 14-9.

In set two, Penn State got a service ace from Henrik Falck Lauten to make it 7-4 as a part of a three-point rally that gave PSU an 8-4 edge.

Princeton pulled the margin within as close as two at several points and even managed to pull within one late a couple of times with both teams in the 20s, but Penn State persevered to win the game after a big block from Sam Marsh and Wildman plus a Princeton error gave PSU its final two points needed.

Penn State made a lineup change in the third set by inserting Bobby Wilden to the rotation and the Nittany Lions found a much smoother offensive rhythm. Princeton led 6-2 early, but the Nittany Lions clawed their way back to tie the score 11-11 and take a 13-12 edge on a Wilden kill.

PSU hit .481 (16-3-27) after posting hitting percentages of .097 and .154 in the first two sets. Back-to-back kills from Wildman and Wilden at 16-14 put momentum on Penn State's side and the Nittany Lions never looked back, taking the set by five, 25-20.

The Nittany Lions came out with a closers' mentality in the fourth game to put the match away. Penn State had three kills in a row from Wildman, Wilden, and Donorovich to lead 13-8 and force a Princeton timeout.

Penn State's lead swelled to nine points at 19-10 after two more Wilden kills and a Princeton attack error and the Nittany Lions wouldn't allow the Tigers to recover, ending the match with a 25-19 win in game four.

HEAR IT FROM THEM

Head Coach Mark Pavlik
"I really thought our guys took advantage of a lot of situations especially in games two, three and four. I thought we didn't leave as many points on the table as we did in game one. I thought we played with better poise the last three games, especially games three and four where we got the lead and held onto it. Pretty good win for us tonight."

Sophomore Cal Fisher
"I think that we've had, as we've been saying over the past couple weeks, one of the most intense and overwhelming [nonconference schedules] we've ever had in terms of the teams we've played. They've all been top ranked and we've battled with them and competed with them. I think that it really gave us an edge going into EIVA's this week seeing those top teams and competing against them."

Junior Bobby Wilden
"…It's been something that we've really been working on in practice this week. We need to keep the difference. If you have a two-point lead at 5-3, you want to maintain that or build upon it. That's just something we were able to focus on by breaking the game down into little mini segments and focus on those five-point games.

MAN OF THE MATCH

Redshirt junior Bobby Wilden did not start this match and only played two sets, but he was arguably Penn State's most important player for the evening. He had 10 kills at a .571 clip (10-2-14) in the second and third sets plus adding a solo block and three digs. His play provided a spark for the Nittany Lions' offense after splitting games one and two.

NOTABLE STATS

Brett Wildman led all scorers with 19.5 points and a match-high 17 kills, marking his ninth-straight match with double-digit kills. He hit .433 (17-3-30) and had a pair of service aces.

Cal Fisher hit .250 with 13 kills from the opposite position, but improved as the match went on with six kills in the third and fourth set and a .384 hitting clip in the last two games. He also had a team-best nine digs, closely followed by Will Bantle with eight.

Penn State's middle blockers Jason Donorovich and Sam Marsh combined for 12 kills a five blocks.

Penn State's serve-receive was excellent again at .986 (68-69) for the match. Bantle was 24-24.

NEXT UP

The Nittany Lions host NJIT in Rec Hall's South Gym Saturday evening at 7 p.m.

Wolves Fall in Five Sets to Mavericks
keukaathletics.com
Friday, February 14, 2020

Connor McDonnell (7) had a career-best 6 blocks on Friday for Keuka -- Photo by Ed Webber

KEUKA PARK, N.Y. — The Keuka College Men's Volleyball team lost a five-set match to Medaille College at the JMW Recreation and Athletics Center on Friday Night.

Keuka College (4-5) was led by Gavin Record with 15 kills and 14 blocks for the double-double. Brad McKnight added 11 kills for the Wolves.

Medaille College 3 at Keuka College 2 – 15-25, 25-22, 17-25, 27-25, 15-13

The Wolves got out to a fast start, scoring the first four points of the match. Keuka extended their lead midway through the set. Keuka led by as many as 11 in the first. Medaille would hit their last attack of the set long as the Green and Gold won the opener 25-15.

Medaille College would take the early 7-3 lead over the Wolves, forcing Keuka to use a timeout. The Mavericks would extend their lead, but Keuka would continue to battle. However, the Wolves were unable to cut into the initial four-point lead by Medaille until later in the set. Marcus Davic capped a three-point run for the Wolves, forcing Medaille to call a timeout with the Mavericks still holding an 18-16 lead. Keuka College cut the margin to one, but it would be as close as the Wolves would get it. Medaille won the second set 25-22 to level the match at 1-1.

Keuka started quickly, taking a 3-0 lead over the Mavericks. An ace by Gavin Record gave the Wolves a 10-4 lead and forced Medaille to use a timeout. Keuka played their cleanest set of the match, committing just two errors while hitting nine kills. Gavin Record put the ball to the floor on the deciding point as Keuka won the third set 25-17, taking a 2-1 lead in the match.

The Mavericks continued the trend of the alternating early lead, but the Wolves tied the set early at 5-5 on a kill by Emmett O'Brien off of an overpass by Medaille. The Mavericks regained the lead and extended it to four points at 11-7. Medaille continued to press the Wolves, taking a 17-12 as Keuka used their second timeout. The Wolves continued to battle, tying the match back up at 22-22. Brad McKnight hit a kill to bring up match point at 24-23, but the Mavericks got a kill and followed that with an ace to bring up their own set point. McKnight drew the match level again at 25-25 with another kill. However, two kills by the Mavericks ended the set and forced a fifth and final set.

The Green and Gold took the early lead in the fifth set. Medaille College rallied to tie the set at 6-6. The Mavericks forced the change-over follow a ball handling error on the Wolves. The set would be tied at 11-11, 12-12, and 13-13. Medaille took advantage of a Keuka service error and ended the match with an ace as the Mavericks won the fifth 15-13, taking the match 3-2.

KC Notes:

The Wolves remain winless against Medaille College in 11 matches. It was the third time that Keuka and Medaille played the full five sets

No love. The Keuka College Men's Volleyball team is now 1-3 in games played on Valentine's Day

Keuka College had its four-game winning streak snapped

With his career-high 15 kills, Gavin Record breaks into the top ten in career kills at Keuka College

As a team, Keuka recorded 11 blocks in the match. The effort was led by freshman Connor McDonnell with a career-best six blocks

Keuka College was efficient in their attack. The Wolves finished with a .200 hitting percentage. It ranked as the fourth-best hitting percentage in a five-set match in program history.

Up Next for Keuka College: There will be no rest for the Wolves as Keuka College is back in action tomorrow. Keuka will travel to Wells College to face both the nationally-ranked Express and newcomer SUNY Potsdam in a pair of North Eastern Athletic Conference matches.

Daemen Men's Volleyball Runs Winning Streak To Four Matches
Wildcats Defeat SUNY Potsdam and Nationally-Ranked Wells
Tom McDermott, Sports Information Consultant, daemenwildcats.com
Friday, February 14, 2020

AURORA, N.Y. - The Daemen College men's volleyball team ran its winning streak to four-straight matches following wins over SUNY Potsdam and host Wells College here tonight during day one of the Wells College Classic Tournament. The Wildcats posted a 3-0 (25-16, 25-20. 25-12) win over SUNY Potsdam and then rallied for a 3-2 (25-22, 16-25, 22-25, 25-18, 16-14) win over Wells.

Daemen, a NCAA Division II independent, has now won seven of its last nine matches and improved to 7-5 overall. SUNY Potsdam (2-5) is a member of NCAA Division III and the North East Athletic Conference (NEAC). The program is in its inaugural season.

Wells is also a member of NCAA Division III and the NEAC. The Express posted 28-9 overall record, claimed their first-ever NEAC Tournament title and advance to the "Elite Eight" of the NCAA Division III Tournament last year. Wells (14-3) saw its six-match winning streak come to end against the Wildcats. The Express entered the weekend ranked sixth in the latest American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Division III national poll. Wells posted two wins over Daemen last year during DC's inaugural season.

It marks the second-straight weekend that the Wildcats have rallied to knock off a nationally-ranked opponent. Last weekend Daemen rallied for a 3-2 win over Lincoln Memorial University, which is ranked seventh among NCAA Division II schools by Off The Block. LMU is the two-time defending champion of the Independent Volleyball Association Tournament. The Railsplitters defeated Daemen, 3-0, in the opening round of last year's IVA Tournament en route to winning the title.

IMPACT PLAYERS VS. SUNY POSTDAM

Daemen registered 34 kills and a .347 hitting percentage.

Redshirt sophomore Brandon Casterline (North Tonawanda, N.Y.) paced a balanced Daemen attack with eight kills, a .375 hitting percentage and three blocks.

Sophomore Henry Moffitt (Sydney, Australia) added six kills, no attack errors and a .545 hitting percentage.

Freshmen Matthew Garry (Depew, N.Y.), Parker Wade (Portland, Ore.) and Jake Couzens (Hamburg, N.Y.) all chipped in five kills.

Freshman Gavin Musielak (Eden, N.Y.) dished out 29 assists, while sophomore Ryan Beck (Pittsburgh, Pa.) registered a team-high seven digs.

Freshman Zaire Rogers paced the Bearseight kills and six digs, while sophomore Alec Roy totaled 13 assists.

SET-BY-SET SUMMARY VS. SUNY POTSDAM

Set One (DC 25, SP 16) - Daemen scored the first six points and later took a 12-4 lead following a kill by Moffitt. The Daemen lead was 20-14 when the Wildcats closed the set with a 5-2 run.

Set Two (DC 25, SP 20) - The Bears held an 8-6 lead when the Wildcats ran off seven unanswered points to take a 13-8 lead. The Daemen lead was 16-13 when the Wildcats took control with a 5-2 run that gave them a 21-15 advantage. The teams traded points the rest of the set.

Set Three (DC 25, SP 12) - Daemen jumped out to an 8-2 lead and later took a 20-9 lead following a service ace by Parker. Potsdam came no closer than 11 points the rest of the way.

IMPACT PLAYERS VS. WELLS

No statistics were available.

NEXT SERVE

The tournament continues tomorrow (Feb. 15) and Daemen will take on Penn State Altoona at 1 p.m. The Lions (5-5) lost to Wells (3-0) and defeated SUNY Potsdam (3-0) this evening.

Loyola Picks Up Road Win, Defeats Quincy, 3-1
The Ramblers advance to 4-8 (1-1 MIVA) this season
loyolaramblers.com
Thursday, February 13, 2020

In Short

Picking up their first road win of the season, the Loyola University Chicago men's volleyball team defeated Quincy tonight, 3-1. Cole Schlothauer, Devin Joslyn and Kyle Piekarski each recorded double-digit kills to fuel the Ramblers, while freshman Jake Maffett had a career-high performance, recording nine kills, five digs, one ace and one block. The Ramblers move to 4-8 (1-1 MIVA) while Quincy drops to 3-9 (0-1 MIVA). 

Coach Mark Hulse's Thoughts

"It's great to get a road win in conference and it's always difficult to do," Hulse said. "I'm very happy with how the guys battled and stuck together on the road."

How It Happened

Quincy captured set one, 25-21 despite the Ramblers hitting .429 percent, the highest attack percentage they've posted since defeating Urbana on January 25. Quincy out-blocked the Ramblers 5-2 and and out-hit them 16-12 to give them a slight advantage. Freshman Jake Maffett stood out in the first set, making his first start of the season and tallying two kills, one of which tied the set 16-16. Both teams were neck and neck but Quincy went on a 3-0 run at the end to ultimately take set one.

The Ramblers took an early lead in set two, highlighted by a Schlothauer ace to make the score 4-1. Loyola took a 7-4 lead with a Joslyn kill but Quincy fired back, going on a 3-0 run. Not to be shut down, the Ramblers went on a 5-1 run which included a huge block from Anton Frank and Maffett. Quincy was forced into a timeout when the Ramblers pulled ahead, 18-12 and eventually won the set, 25-18.

Set three started off strong with another ace from Schlothauer to post a 1-0 lead before both teams juggled numerous points and tied the game up 13 times. With the set tied 13-13, Quincy went on a 3-0 run to end the exchange. Kills from Schlothauer, Piekarski and Joslyn brought the Ramblers back in it to tie 21-21 and force a Quincy timeout. The Ramblers won set three, 25-22 after out-killing Quincy, 15-9.

Maffett picked up his first career ace in the beginning of set three, giving Loyola a 5-3 advantage. After a couple ties, the Ramblers went on a 3-0 run to take back a 17-14 lead and force another Quincy timeout. Coming back from the break, Loyola went on a 4-0 run highlighted by back-to-back kills from Frank. The Hawks attempted to close the gap and brought it within one, 22-21, but the Ramblers maintained their momentum and won the fourth set, 25-23.

A Look At The Numbers

• Loyola hit .311 percent, their highest since posting a .469 percentage in their 3-0 victory over Urbana on January 25.
• Redshirt freshman Cole Schlothauer led the Ramblers with 14 kills.
• Junior Devin Joslyn and senior Kyle Piekarski each recorded 12 kills.
• Freshman Jake Maffett put on a stand-out performance in his first start for the Ramblers this season, posting a career-high nine kills, five digs, one ace and one block.
• Senior Ian Cowen tallied 49 assists and nine digs.

Up Next

The Ramblers continue their MIVA road trip at Lindenwood on Saturday, Feb. 15, facing the Lions at 4 p.m. CT.

Lindenwood's Offense Too Much As 'Dons Fall 3-1
gomastodons.com
Thursday, February 13, 2020

ST. CHARLES, Mo. - No. 9 Purdue Fort Wayne men's volleyball couldn't stop Lindenwood's offense and fell 3-1 (25-23, 23-25, 25-22, 25-23) at Hyland Arena on Thursday (Feb. 13). 

1st Set
Jon Diedrich started the first set with a kill, but the Lions went on a three point scoring run to take the lead 3-1. The Mastodons caught back up after two errors by Lindenwood and a kill by Pelegrin Vargas to tie up the score at five. Lindenwood earned some breathing room and led 24-19 when the 'Dons rattled off four straight points to make the score 24-23. Vargas had a kill and a block in the run. However the set went to the Lions on a kill by Jeremy Kirch for point 25. 

2nd Set
In set two, the Lions led the way in the beginning, but the Mastodons came back to tie it at 11. Vargas and Jon Diedrich helped the 'Dons take back control and advance the lead to 17-13. Carlos Mercado came into the match and got his first collegiate kill, allowing the Mastodons to go up 22-18. Vargas closed down set two with a kill and tied up the match 1-1.

3rd Set
Set three was close to start until Lindenwood earned their first three-point lead of the frame at 11-8. The 'Dons would rally back to tie it first at 18 and then 20 on a kill by Tomas Gago. A Lindenwood kill, ace and kill followed to put the Lions in control at 23-20.

4th Set
Frederico Santos shook up the Lions' defense as he dumped the ball behind the blockers and put Purdue Fort Wayne ahead 8-3. A fifth set looked imminent with the 'Dons up 21-16. Things flipped toward the Lions as four straight points by Lindenwood followed. While a Richie Diedrich kill briefly halted Lindenwood's momentum to keep the Mastodons' lead at 22-20, the Lions followed with a 5-1 run to close out the set and the match. 

Notable Purdue Fort Wayne Individual Stats

Pelegrin Vargas - 16 kills
Tomas Gago - 9 kills and 4 blocks
Frederico Santos - 41 assists
Troy Gooch - 11 digs

Notable Lindenwood Individual Stats

Jeremy Kirch - 15 kills, 2 aces
Sam Schindler - 10 kills, 7 blocks, 1 ace

Notes

- Thursday was the Mastodons' first match without an ace since March 23, 2017 against Ohio State. 
- The Lions out-hit the Mastodons .189 to .178.

Up Next

The Mastodons fall to a record of 6-3, 1-1 MIVA as Lindenwood moves to a record of 8-4, 1-0 MIVA. Purdue Fort Wayne will remain on the road and play Quincy University on Saturday (Feb. 15) at 5 p.m. ET.

Wentworth Men's Volleyball Handles Eastern Nazarene
wentworthathletics.com
Wednesday, February 12, 2020

Quincy, Mass. – Freshman Hunter Oshman (Pennington, N.J.) put down 10 kills while hitting .750 to power the Wentworth men's volleyball team past Eastern Nazarene in straight sets on Wednesday evening. The Leopards earn their second straight sweep, and hand the Lions their first loss in five matches.

RECORDS

Wentworth (8-2)
Eastern Nazarene (8-4)

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE – STATISTICAL LEADERS

Kills: Hunter Oshman (10 - .750), Alex McLane (5 - .571), Drew Potter (5)
Digs: Drew Hesse (5), Phoenix Stebbins (3), Ryan Love (3)
Assists: Augusto Rodriguez-Guerrios (19), Connor Adams (12)
HOW IT HAPPENED

Wentworth made quick work of the Lions, as the non-conference match lasted just under an hour inside Lahue PE Center. Eastern Nazarene hit -.014 for the night, while the Leopards hit .417 in their second match of the year over .400. After Wentworth broke a 4-4 tie in the first set with a 12-4 run, the Leopards stayed in front for the remainder of the match, highlighting the non-conference victory with 18 kills and just a single error in the second frame (.607).

NOTES

Leopards earn second straight sweep McLane, recently named GNAC Player and Rookie of the Week, hit .400 or better in his third consecutive match

THE SERIES

Wentworth is 3-0 against the Lions, all of which came in straight sets.

NEXT

The Leopards hop back into conference action next Thursday, February 20th, for a 7:00 p.m. match at Emerson.

Thrilling Comeback Win Over Railsplitters Caps Tri-Match Sweep For Wildcats
Yerington Posts School-Record 36 Kills In Win Over Defending IVA Champions
Tom McDermott, Sports Information Consultant, daemenwildcats.com
Sunday, February 9, 2020

Zach Yerington totaled a program-record 36 kills in the win over LMU

URBANA, Ohio. - The Daemen College men's volleyball team took both games of a tri-match hosted by Urbana University here this afternoon. After defeating the host Blue Knights 3-1, the Wildcats rallied to post the biggest win in the two-year history of their program with a thrilling 3-2 win over Lincoln Memorial University. All three schools are NCAA Division II independents in men's volleyball.

LMU is the defending champion of the Independent Volleyball Association Tournament. The Railsplitters defeated Daemen, 3-0, in the opening round of last year's IVA Tournament en route to winning the title. Urbana is in its first season as a varsity program.

Daemen rallied from two sets down in the win over LMU, and the Wildcats outlasted the Railsplitters 18-16 in the fifth and deciding set to secure the victory.

In addition to the team achievement, graduate student Zach Yerington (Hamburg, N.Y.) posted the most impressive effort by a Daemen player in the brief two-year history of the program. The Ohio State University transfer totaled a program-record 36 kills in the win over LMU, smashing the old record of 21 set by Jarari Winkfield (Oswego, Ill.) last year. Yerington's 36 kills in a match ranks as the most by any NCAA Division I/II player this season.

"We've been working hard on late game situations," said Daemen coach Don Gleason. "I'm so proud of how the guys stepped up late. Yerington was an absolute force today. LMU is a team that we have a ton of respect for, so being able to go toe-to-toe with them and come out on top was a huge step for us."

Daemen evened its record at 5-5 with the two wins today. LMU is now 5-4 on the year, while Urbana drops to 0-13. 

IMPACT PLAYERS VS. URBANA

Daemen registered 56 kills, as freshman freshman Zach Schneider (Lockport, N.Y.) led the way with a season-high 19. He also led the team in total attempts (30) and committed just one attack error for a hitting percentage of .600. He also recorded seven digs.

Sophomore Jahari Winkfield (Oswego, Ill.) added a season-high 11 kills and a career-high nine blocks (one solo, eight assisted). He did not record an attack error in 13 attempts and posted an .846 hitting percentage.

Sophomore Kyle Kon (Oswego, N.Y.) also reached double-digits in kills for the first time this season and finished with 10 kills and five digs. Yerington posted 10 kills. 

Sophomore setter Michael Krueger (Canonsburg, N.Y.) tallied 39 assists, and sophomore defensive specialist Jaden Gillette (Spencerport, N.Y.) contributed a team high eight digs.

Freshman Tyler Chavez paced the hosts with 15 kills and six digs, while fellow rookie Jack Brinkman added nine kills. Junior Chaz Hafer dished out a team-high 30 assists and also registered six digs.

SET-BY-SET SUMMARY VS. URBANA

Set One (DC 25, UU 17) - The teams traded points early on and hosts held a 12-11 lead when the Wildcats put together an 8-2 run to take a 19-14 lead. Daemen's lead never dipped below four points after that, and they secured the win with three unanswered points.

Set Two (DC 25, UU 19) - The teams once again traded points early on and Urbana held an 8-6 lead when the Wildcats scored four straight points and later took a 15-11 lead following a kill by Yerington. The Daemen lead was three points (16-13) when the Wildcats put together a 7-1 run to open up a 23-14 lead. Urbana made things interesting by scoring five of the next six points, but Daemen secured the win following a Urbana service error.

Set Three (UU 25, DC 23) - The host Blue Knights jumped out to a 7-3 lead and later took a 14-9 lead following a kill by Brinkman. Daemen scored the next three points and later cut the lead to a point, 18-17, following a kill by Yerington. The teams traded points and the Urbana lead was still just a point (20-19) when the hosts scored four of the next five points to take a 24-20 lead. Daemen scored three unanswered to once again make it a one point game, but Urbana secured the win following a kill by Hafer.

Set Four (DC 25, UU 14) - Similar to the first two sets the teams traded points early on an Daemen held a 9-7 lead when the visitors scored four unanswered points and later took a 17-10 lead following a kill by Kon. Urbana scored the next point, but Daemen then secured the win with a 6-1 run.

IMPACT PLAYERS VS. LINCOLN MEMORIAL

Daemen totaled a season-high 66 kills, as Yerington led the way with a program-record 36. He totaled 58 attempts and posted a hitting percentage of .466. He also posted four service aces and six digs.

Schneider capped off his solid day with 14 kills, four assists, four aces and four digs.

Winkfield, who committed just one attack error over the two matches, added eight kills and a .438 hitting percentage. He also registered three blocks and finished the day with 12 blocks.

Krueger established his career-high for assists (54) and digs (18) in a match, while Gillette and freshman Ryan Parker (Fairport, N.Y.) both chipped in seven digs. Parker also added three blocks.

Senior Evan Cory led the Railsplitters with 23 kills and seven digs, while classmate Pedro Carvalho added 14 kills, four aces and six blocks. Junior A.J. Risavy dished out 50 assists for LMU.

SET-BY-SET SUMMARY VS. LINCOLN MEMORIAL

Set One (LMU 25, DC 15) - LMU jumped out to a 9-3 lead and later took a 13-6 lead following a Daemen attack error. The lead was still seven points, 16-9, when Daemen rattled off four unanswered to cut it to 16-13. That is as close as the Wildcats would get, as LMU secured the win with an 8-1 run that gave the Railsplitters a 24-14 lead.

Set Two (LMU 25, DC 19) - The teams traded points early on and the set was tied at 11-11 when the Railsplitters put together a 10-3 run that gave them a commanding 21-14 lead. Daemen came no closer than five points the rest of the way.

Set Three (DC 25, LMU 23) - Daemen jumped out to an early lead this time, as the Wildcats took an 11-5 lead following an ace by Schneider. The Daemen lead was 16-11 when the Railsplitters rallied with a 7-2 run that tied the set at 18-18. Daemen later opened up a 23-20 lead, but LMU scored three of the next four points to make it 24-23 Daemen. Krueger than set up Schneider for the set-ending kill.

Set Four (DC 25, LMU 23) - Neither team led by more than three points in set four, until the Wildcats ran off three straight points and took a 15-10 lead following a kill by Schneider. LMU regrouped following a timeout and eventually tied the set at 18-18. The teams then traded points before Daemen got back-to-back kills by Winkfield and Schneider to take a 24-22 lead. A Daemen service error made it 24-23, but another kill by Schneider earned Daemen the win and forced a fifth and deciding set.

Set Five (DC 18, LMU 16) - LMU held a 6-5 lead when the Wildcats put together a 6-1 run that featured two kills by Yerington and four LMU errors. The teams then traded points and Daemen eventually found itself serving for the match with a 14-12 lead. LMU tied the set following back-to-back Daemen attack errors, but a kill by Yerington gave the Wildcats a 15-14 lead. LMU tied it following a kill by junior Logan Kerley, but Winkfield answered with a kill to give Daemen a 16-15 lead. A kill by Cory tied it one last time, before Yerington capped off his outstanding day with back-to-back kills to give the Wildcats the win.

NEXT SERVE

Daemen is idle until next weekend when they travel to Aurora, N.Y. to take part in the Wells Classic Tournament. The Wildcats will face SUNY Potsdam and tournament host Wells Friday (Feb. 14) night and Penn State Altoona Saturday (Feb. 15).

#13 Wentworth Men's Volleyball Sweeps Illinois Tech
wentworthathletics.com
Sunday, February 9, 2020

Boston, Mass. – Freshmen Hunter Oshman (Pennington, N.J.) and Alex McLane (Columbus, Ohio) led the No. 13 Wentworth men's volleyball team past Illinois Tech in straight sets with 12 and 11 kills, respectively, on Sunday afternoon inside Tansey Gymnasium. 
RECORDS

Wentworth 7-2
Illinois Tech 1-7

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE – STATISTICAL LEADERS

Kills: Hunter Oshman (12), Alex McLane (11), Ian Carlson (9)
Digs: Hunter Oshman (8), Peter Klembczyk (7), Ryan Love (7)
Assists: Augusto Rodriguez-Guerrios (34)
Aces: Drew Hesse (3)
Blocks: Colin Stockton (5 BA), Hunter Oshman (3 BA) 

HOW IT HAPPENED

Wentworth opened the match on .310 hitting as a team and broke a 2-2 tie with an 8-3 run, thanks to two kills from Ryan Love (Gaithersburg, Md.) and an ace apiece from Drew Hesse (Eden, N.Y.) and Ian Carlson (Parker, Colo.). The Leopards kept the five-point gap, 12-7, and built the lead to six points at 18-12, forcing a Scarlet Hawks' timeout after a thunderous kill from Oshman. Wentworth, which registered a 70% sideout percentage the frame, scored the final seven of 12 points, capped by back-to-back swings from McLane and Carlson.

Illinois Tech settled into a rhythm in set two, as the frame featured 12 tied scores and two lead changes. Easton Kays capped a 3-0 run for the visitors in the middle of the set ,which put the Scarlet Hawks in front for the 16-15 lead. Freshmen Colin Stockton (Hummelstown, Pa.) and Oshman then denied Kays' attack on the backend of an Oshman kill that stole the lead back for Wentworth for good. Carlson booked five kills in the set to power the Leopards to a 25-22 finish.

The Scarlet Hawks forced three tied scores in the final set, two of which occurred in the waning plays of the match following two WIT errors. Midway through the frame, Illinois Tech sparked a 5-2 run, which erased a three-point deficit, as the Scarlet Hawks trailed by just one 15-14 after a block from Grant Couper and Evan Robeck. Both teams battled point-for-point, before Love broke the 24-24 tie with a kill, combined with an Oshman/Stockton block which gave the hosts the non-league sweep.

NOTES

The Leopards finish the week at 1-1, and are 4-1 since cracking the Top-15 in the AVCA National Poll
McLane hit .400 or better in his second straight match, and earned his first cap as a Leopard
Rodriguez-Guerrios has booked 30+ assists in his past six of seven matches

THE SERIES

This was the first meeting between the two teams. 

NEXT

The Leopards resume non-conference action on Wednesday with a 7:00 .p.m. match at Eastern Nazarene.

Saints Rally For Four-Set Victory Over CVC-Opponent Blue Jays
marymountsaints.com
Saturday, February 8, 2020

ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. - The Marymount University men's volleyball team continued Continental Volleyball Conference play on Saturday afternoon at Elizabethtown College, rallying back for a four-set victory, 3-1 (22-25, 25-20, 25-10, 25-20).

A slow start for the Saints had them trailing for much of the first set until a kill by sophomore Miles Olson late put MU in the lead for the first time since the first three points of the game, 19-18. Although the Blue Jays answered to retake the lead with a 4-0 stretch, the Saints kept the fight alive before dropping the first set, 25-22. 

Another tight game in the second showed neither team gaining more than a two-point advantage until the midway mark of the set when the Saints separated themselves with an 8-1 run that forced Elizabethtown into a timeout. Following kills by senior Sam Safley and sophomore Raymond Tarasi, the 19-13 lead was more than enough for the Saints to even the match out at 1-1. A late push by the Jays got them within four, but a timeout by Marymount helped regroup and take the set, 25-20. 

The second-game victory played a big momentum swing in the match, as the Saints came out swinging in the third set for eight kills at a .400 clip to roll to a 25-10 win. They gained some of the success on the other side of the net where Elizabethtown hit -.150 with seven attack errors. The separation started early with two kills by Safley sandwiching an attack error by the Jays. Eventually, the Saints hit a long stretch with a 9-2 run to take a double-digit advantage that shut down Elizabethtown the rest of the way. 

In the final set, not much changed. Marymount came out swinging and took control early with an Olson service aces and a block by freshman Hayden Kerekes and Safley. Down the stretch, the Saints built up a double-digit advantage off another Safley kill and Olson ace, but the Jays hit a stretch of their own to get back within five at 23-18 to force a Marymount timeout. 

Again, the break proved useful, as the Saints put the final touch on the match with kills by Olson and Kerekes to take the set, 25-20, and win the match.

Safley and Perkins led the offense for the day with 14 and 11 kills, respectively, while senior Joseph Zanelotti notched a double-double with a match-high 38 assists and a match-high 19 digs. Sophomore Chris Manganiello and freshman Grayson Andrews also had double-digit dig performances with 13 and 11, in that order. 

The Saints return home for a three-match stand, opening with Kean University on Friday, February 14 in the Converse Family Fieldhouse. First serve is set for 7 p.m.

Red Flash Picks Up First Sweep of the Season
Mike McNabb, sfuathletics.com
Saturday, February 8, 2020

Loretto, Pa. – The Red Flash men's volleyball team (3-6) picked up its first sweep of the season tonight, downing St. Francis Brooklyn (2-4) in convincing fashion.

Set One
· SFBK began leading 3-0, holding a 1-3 point lead until the score was 15-12.
· After tying the set at 15, the Red Flash finished its 9-2 run to take a 21-17 lead.
· SFU never looked back, extending the lead a point further and winning by five.
· Michael Fisher (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley) led all players with five kills.
· Blake Liprando (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley HS) and Joshua Blair (Matterson. Illnois/Marian Catholic) each added three kills, and Roman Szwabinsky (Columbus, Ohio/Westerville South) notched 12 assists.
· Final Score: SFU 25, SFBK 20

Set Two
· The Red Flash took control of the second set, quickly jumping out to a convincing 8-2 lead.
· The teams began to trade points, but SFU continued to extend its lead, eventually reaching nine at 15-7 and 19-10, and 11 at the conclusion of the set.
· Until the end of the set, SFBK could not cut it any closer than seven.
· Fisher had four kills, and Blake Liprando (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley HS) and Zac Cabral (Burnt Hills, N.Y./Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake) each added three.
· Szwabinsky continued his strong day with 13 assists.
· SFU registered 13 total kills and eight digs in the set.
· Final Score: SFU 25, SFBK 14

Set Three
· The teams exchanged points to begin, seeing an early 3-3 tie, then the Red Flash held onto a small lead for the first half of the set.
· SFBK eventually tied the match at 12 and took a two-point lead at 14-12.
· The Red Flash answered strongly, using a 3-0 run to retake the lead.
· Fans watched the teams continue to trade blows, seeing ties at 15 and 16 before SFU went up by two.
· The Red Flash used its momentum to pull away late, reaching a lead of five and winning by four.
· Blake Liprando (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley HS) and Zac Cabral (Burnt Hills, N.Y./Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake) each contributed three kills.
· Joseph Koszelak (North Tonawanda, N.Y./St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute) added nine assists.
· Final Score: SFU 25, SFBK 21

Box Score Notes
· Michael Fisher (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley) led the match with 15 kills.
· Zac Cabral (Burnt Hills, N.Y./Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake) and Joshua Blair (Matterson. Illnois/Marian Catholic) each added five kills and Blake Liprando (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley HS) registered six.
· Roman Szwabinsky (Columbus, Ohio/Westerville South) finished with 25 assists and Joseph Koszelak (North Tonawanda, N.Y./St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute) finished with nine.
· SFU out-killed SFBK, 36-21, and out-assisted them, 36-20.
· SFU also finished with a .397 attack percentage compared to .048 from SFBK.
· The Red Flash finished with 7.5 total blocks, including a game-high three block assists from Josh Blair.
· The match in total saw 15 ties and four lead changes.

Up next for the Red Flash is the start of conference play, which they will begin by hosting NJIT and #12 Princeton on Friday and Saturday.

No. 10 Purdue Fort Wayne Slips Past Loyola, 3-0
Devin Joslyn rips a career-best 14 kills to pace the Ramblers’ attack
loyolaramblers.com
Saturday, February 8, 2020

In Short

Devin Joslyn crushed a team-high 14 kills, but Loyola University Chicago (3-8, 0-1 MIVA) dropped a hard-fought, 25-27, 23-25, 26-28 battle with tenth-ranked Purdue Fort Wayne (6-2, 1-0 MIVA) tonight at Gentile Arena in the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association opener for both teams.

How It Happened

Loyola stretched its lead to 18-13 late in the first set on a kill from Joslyn, but Purdue Fort Wayne stormed back, scoring eight of the next nine points in the opening set to stake hold to a 21-19 advantage. The Ramblers were able to reclaim the lead, scoring three consecutive tallies on Mastodons errors, for a 24-23 edge, but Purdue Fort Wayne closed out the set on a 4-1 run to earn a 27-25 decision.

A hot-hitting Purdue Fort Wayne squad posted a .407 (14-3-27) attack percentage in set two, but Loyola held tough. Trailing 22-19, the Ramblers, who hit .333 (14-5-27) in the set themselves, drew within a point on another kill from Josyln and a Kyle Piekarski/Ian Cowen block, but the Mastodons had an answer each time the hosts closed within a point and Purdue Fort Wayne held on for the 25-23 victory.

Loyola out-hit Purdue Fort Wayne in set three (.250 to .243), but dropped a heartbreaking 28-26 contest. Two Josyln kills were sandwiched around a Mastodons hitting error that allowed the Ramblers to wipe away a three-point deficit and even the score at 24-24. Moments later, with the score deadlocked at 26-26, Purdue Fort Wayne turned to its workhorse, senior outside hitter Pelegrin Vargas, who recorded back-to-back kills to close out a 28-26 win for the Dons.

A Look At The Numbers

Joslyn's 14 kills established a new career high for the junior outside hitter, surpassing the 13 he drilled just two weeks ago versus Urbana.

Cole Schlothauer contributed 12 kills, while Piekarski added eight kills and three blocks for the Ramblers.

Vargas led all players with a match-best 19 kills for Purdue Fort Wayne.

Up Next

The Ramblers make their first road trip in MIVA play next weekend when they travel to Quincy (Feb. 13) and Lindenwood (Feb. 15).

Wildcats Fall At Ball State
Daemen Suffers Fourth Loss Against Division I Opponent This Season
By Mike Miranto, Sr. Associate A.D. for External Operations & Communications, daemenwildcats.com
Saturday, February 8, 2020

MUNCIE, Ind. - The Daemen College men's volleyball team's first win against a Division I opponent will have to wait for another day as the Wildcats fell 3-0 tonight against Ball State University at Worthen Arena.

Ball State, which competes in the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association, ran its winning streak to four-straight games, improving to 7-3 this season. On the flip side, Division II independent Daemen dropped to 3-5 this season. Four of Daemen's five losses this season have come against Division I opponents. 

IMPACT PLAYERS

Matt Szews (12 kills), Kaleb Jenness (11 kills) and Blake Reardon (10 kills) all contributed to the Cardinal offense, combining for 33 of the team's 40 kills. All three players attacked at .250 or better, led by Jenness' .286. 

The Cardinals also received a combined 29 assists from setters Courtland Scharenborg (14 assists) and Quinn Isaacson (15 assists). 

Daemen was led by outside hitters Zach Schneider (Lockport, N.Y.) and Zach Yerington (Hamburg, N.Y.) who totaled nine and seven kills, respectively. 

Sophomore setter Michael Krueger (Canonsburg, Pa.) recorded a match-high 21 assists and added seven digs for the Wildcats. 

SET-BY-SET SUMMARY

Set One (BSU 25, DC 18) - The hosts jumped out quickly, establishing a 10-3 lead before Daemen could muster consecutive points. Reardon notched a pair of kills and a service ace in the set-opening run. The Cardinal lead would grow to 24-14 following a block by Isaacson. Daemen rattled off four-straight points to make ita respectable difference before Szews ended the set with a kill for BSU.

Set Two (BSU 25, DC 20) - Daemen grabbed an early 2-1 lead, but the Cardinals created some separation with a 13-6 spurt. Daemen scratched within 16-12 on a kill by Yerington, and later at 24-20 following a BSU hitting error, but could get not closer. Szews came up with another set-ending kill for the hosts. 

Set Three (BSU 29, DC 27) - The teams went back and forth early in the third set until Daemen embarked on a 16-5 run, turning a 6-3 deficit into a 19-11 lead. Yerington and sophomore outside hitter Kyle Kon (Oswego, N.Y.) keyed the run with multiple kills. Later, a Schneider kill made it 24-19 in favor of Daemen, putting the Wildcats on the precipice of taking the set. But the Cardinals rallied for five-straight points, aided by four Daemen hitting errors, to even the score at 24-24. The Cardinals grabbed the lead at 26-25 on a kill by Szews, but Daemen came back with two-straight points, including a kill from Jahari Winkfield (Oswego, Ill.). The final rally went the way of the hosts as BSU scored three-straight points to take the set and the match. Scharenborg's service ace closed it out.

GAME NOTES

Daemen is in the midst of just the second season in program history. With a roster comprised entirely of first-year college players, Daemen went 6-17 in their inaugural season last spring. 

Daemen's additional losses to Division I opponents this season came against UCLA (Jan. 2), Pepperdine (Jan. 14) and Harvard (Jan. 16). The Wildcats are 0-5 all-time against Division I opponents. 

Tonight's match marked the first of eight-straight away from home for the Wildcats.

Tonight's win was the 398th in the 22-year career of Ball State head coach Joel Walton. The Cardinals have made 15 NCAA tournament appearances in Walton's tenure.

NEXT SERVE

Daemen closes out this weekend's three-match road trip with a pair of contests Sunday at a tri-match hosted by Urbana University. The Wildcats will meet Urbana at noon, followed by a 2 p.m. match vs. Lincoln Memorial University.

Medaille Men's Volleyball Falls in Close Fought Match vs. Johnson & Wales
Chris Pauline Jr. had a team high (15) kills and (3) service aces
medaillesports.com
Saturday, February 8, 2020

ROCHESTER, NY - The Men's Volleyball team rounded out their weekend of competition with a single match vs Johnson & Wales University. The Mavericks looked to get things back on track after their losses on Friday. 

Despite the close fought match up the Mavs fell to the Wildcats by a score of (3-1).

The Mavericks held with the Wildcats for the first set taking the score deep before losing (22-25).

The second match again was a thriller as the Mavericks won the set (25-23). The Mavs were propelled to this set win by a run of four points in a row to go from down one point to winning by three points. 

The third match was one that the Wildcats ran away with by a score of (13-25).

The blue and gold got right back up and kept bringing it to the Wildcats until unfortunately falling to them in the fourth and final set by a score of (18-25).

Chris Pauline Jr. (North Tonawanda, NY, North Tonawanda) had a solid day all around for the Mavericks finishing with (15) kills and (3) service aces good for (18.0) points on the day.

Also coming up big for the Mavericks was Nick Patterson (Amherst, NY, Amherst Central) who had (8) kills of his own and a service ace of his own good for (9.0) points.

Matt Dickerson (Lockport, NY, Starpoint) and Shawn Barbalato (Williamsville, NY, Williamsville South) rounded out the top tier performances from the Mavs.

The Mavericks will return to action next Friday, February 14th as they travel to Keuka College to battle against the Wolves. The game is set to start at 7pm.

Paul Hackford Surpasses 2,000 Career Assists as SJFC Men's Volleyball Surges to a 3-0 Weekend at Fisher Invite
athletics.sjfc.edu
Saturday, February 8, 2020

PITTSFORD, N.Y. – The St. John Fisher College men's volleyball team kept its win streak alive with a pair of victories Saturday at the Manning and Napier Varsity Gym. The Cardinals defeated Thiel College in straight-sets (25-13, 25-21, 25-16) before having to pull off a two-set comeback against Geneva College (19-25, 24-26, 25-18, 25-17, 15-10). The Cardinals ended their home tournament, the Fisher Invite, with a record of 3-0. 

Fisher's unbeaten streak reaches 11 as it is just one away from tying the program record of 12 straight-wins set in 2019. The Cardinals are now 11-1 with their only loss coming to nationally-ranked Wells College. 

During the first match, junior Paul Hackford surpassed 2,000 career assists. The Orchard Park native led all players in assists in both matches with 24 against Thiel and then a season-high 46 versus Geneva. The setter also had a career-high and game-high 22 digs in the five-set victory over the Golden Tornadoes. 

Josh Bigford led the Cardinals in the kills category in both matches with eight and 16 respectively. 

FISHER 3, THIEL 0

The Cardinals utilized a few point-streaks to take a large lead in the opening set. Fisher finished on a 5-0 to win the frame. Bigford had two aces during the final run while Paul Hackford set up Martin Hackford for set-winning point. 

Fisher got out in front early once again in the second stanza. Paul Hackford earned his own kill as the setter stepped up on ball placed by Ivan Lopez to claim the point. Fisher kept the Tomcats at bay as the difference never went below three for the rest of set. Josh Bigford put one away to go up by two sets. 

It was a tight third set for the early portion until the Cardinals broke free with a 5-2 run to take an 11-8 edge. A Lopez kill gave Bigford the serve at 12-9 and Fisher scored three-straight points with the sophomore slamming an ace to make it 15-9 in favor of the home squad. Matt Broderick ended the match with a kill to give the Cardinals their 10th-straight win. 

Paul Hackford registered a game-high eight digs while Martin Hackford earned six kills and seven digs. Bigford had three aces while as a team, Fisher hit .319 in the match. 

FISHER 3, GENEVA 2

The start of the match was delayed by almost two hours as the Golden Tornadoes were finishing up a match played at Nazareth College earlier in the day. When it finally got underway, Fisher looked slow as Geneva took an early lead and stayed in control for the rest of the set to end a nine-set winning streak by the Cardinals. 

Fisher got back into the swing of things in the second set as it went up 11-8 on a Martin Hackford kill that Bigford assisted on. Four-straight points won by the Cardinals made it 21-17 but the Golden Tornadoes stormed back to tie it at 22-all. The Hackford brothers each earned a kill to make it set point but Geneva responded with four points in a row to take the stanza and push the lead up to two-sets-to-none. 

With their backs against the wall, the Cardinals did not look daunted as they took the advantage early in the third on a 5-0 run to go up 7-3. Fisher cruised the rest of the way to take the set and extend the match to the fourth. 

Geneva looked ready to spoil the weekend for Fisher as it grabbed the early edge and went up by as many as six at 14-8. However, a 4-0 run chipped away at the lead and then Fisher earned a point to make to 16-13 with the Golden Tornadoes still leading and Paul Hackford stepping up to the service line. 

The junior led the Cardinals to nine-straight winning points with the final five coming from back-to-back kills from Bigford and then three-straight aces from the setter. Fisher finished off the set with Broderick spiking a ball that was set up by Paul Hackford to send the match to a deciding fifth set. 

The Cardinals had all the momentum with winning the previous two frames as they went up 4-1 early in the fifth. Geneva fought back to take the lead at 8-7 and then again at 9-8. A Martin Hackford ace gave Fisher the lead for good at 10-9. A big block at the net by Paul Hackford and Lopez made it match point and Paul Hackford closed out his memorable day with a sneaky behind-the-back set that went over the net and hit the court before a Golden Tornado could reach it. 

Martin Hackford and Broderick each recorded double-doubles with 13 kills and 10 digs for Hackford and season-highs of 13 kills and 13 digs for Broderick. Lopez and Eric Bentivegna each had six total blocks as it was a new season-high for Lopez. Paul Hackford posted seven kills and a career-high four aces. This was the second time this season the Cardinals came back to win from down two sets. 

Fisher has two weeks to prepare for its next match, which will also be the start of its conference schedule. The Cardinals travel to Vassar College on Friday, February 21st with the start time set for 6 p.m.

Cougars Split Tri-Match with Lehman and Messiah
keanathletics.com
Saturday, February 8, 2020

UNION, N.J. (2/8/20) – Jared Ray totaled 32 kills over two matches as the Kean University men's volleyball team split a tri-match with Lehman College and Messiah College on Saturday.

Kean 3, Lehman 0

Ray and Jonathan Meyer combined for 13 kills as the Cougars (3-6) posted a .414 hitting percentage in the sweep of the Lightning (2-5). Ray finished with seven kills and recorded a .667 hitting percentage, while Meyer tallied six kills with a .400 hitting percentage.

Kean hit north of .300 for the entire match, while limiting Lehman to a -.038 hitting percentage. Duncan Beilke and Kevin Molina each tallied four kills, while Zach Noll, Stephen Reynolds and David Jones all posted three kills apiece. Noll also recorded double-digit assists (13) along with Zach Gerken (10) and Luke Frankenfield (12).

Andrew Lukasiuk collected six digs in the victory.

Messiah 3, Kean 2

Ray and Seth Russell combined for 42 kills as the Cougars (3-7) came up a bit short in a five set thriller with the Falcons (6-2). Ray finished with a career-high 25 kills, while Russell tallied a career-high 17 kills as Kean recorded a .298 hitting percentage.

After falling behind 2-0, Kean rallied to force the deciding set behind the play of their outside hitters. Kean hit .591 in a 25-20 set three victory that saw Russell and Ray combine for 13 kills. Ray added another seven kills in the fourth set victory that saw 12 ties and three lead changes.

The momentum swung back and forth between both sides during the deciding set as the freshman notched another six kills towards his career high performance. Messiah rallied from a 4-1 deficit to jump ahead 9-7 on a 6-1 run. Kean eventually evened the contest at 10-10, but the Falcons notched three straight points for a 13-10 lead that kept Messiah in the driver's seat for the final few points. 

Russell and Ray both added eight digs, while Gerken handed out 30 assists. Meyer finished with nine digs and three kills, while Noll finished with 12 assists.

Head Coach Charlie Ginex and the Cougars will return to action on Tuesday, February 11th, hosting the nationally-ranked Knights of Arcadia University at 7:30 p.m.

D'Youville Men Fall Twice Saturday Afternoon
athletics.dyc.edu
Saturday, February 8, 2020

Rochester, NY - The D'Youville men's volleyball team completed their weekend at the Golden Flyer Invite with a pair of 3-0 losses to the UC Santa Cruz Banana Slugs and the Lasell Lasers.

It was a close first set against UC Santa Cruz early on as the Spartans trailed by two early, but the Banana Slugs would go on a big run to close out the first just a few points later to take the first 25-14. The second saw the two teams go back-and-forth for a majority of the set, heading into the final points tied at 22. Santa Cruz was then able to close out the match in extra points, winning 28-26. Then in the third, D'Youville put up a strong fight with the score tired at 13, but the Banana Slugs went on another late run to win the third 25-18 and the match 3-0.

Ali Khadra (Williamsville, NY/Williamsville East) led the team with 10 kills, followed by Dan Busha (Hamburg, NY/St. Francis) with nine and Anthony Dean (Niagara Falls, NY/Niagara Falls) with six. Danny Steck (Lancaster, NY/St. Francis) recorded three blocks while Karl Jauch (Lockport, NY/Starpoint) had 18 assists and Mitch Mason (Eden, NY/Eden) had 10 digs.

Match number two of the day saw Lasell lead early and extended their lead late into the first before the Spartans would come back to trail by one at 19-20. However, the Lasers would close out the first with a 25-22 victory. The second saw Lasell hold off D'Youville as they made a mid-set run to win 25-18. In the third, the Lasers were dominant throughout to win the set 25-8 and the match 3-0.

Busha registered six kills as Khadra and Dean each had four. Jach led the way with 14 assists while Mason had six digs. Dean and Troy Stancampiano (Williamsville, NY/Williamsville East) each had five digs.

D'Youville will resume game action next weekend as they travel to Alvernia to play Alverina on Friday, February 14 at 7:00pm. They will then play Baruch and Neumann at Alvernia on Saturday at 12:00pm and 2:00pm.

Keuka Men’s Volleyball Opens NEAC Schedule with Win Over SUNY Poly
keukaathletics.com
Saturday, February 8, 2020

KEUKA PARK, N.Y. — The Keuka College Men's Volleyball team won their 2020 North Eastern Athletic Conference and home opener 3-1 over SUNY Poly on Saturday afternoon at the JMW Recreation and Athletics Center.

Keuka College (3-4, 1-0 NEAC) was led by Brad McKnight. The sophomore posted his first double-double of the season with a team-high 16 kills and 10 digs. Marcus Davic added 10 kills for the Wolves in the win.

Keuka College 3 vs. SUNY Poly 1 – 23-25, 25-20, 25-21, 25-21

SUNY Poly jumped out to a 10-2 lead over the Wolves to start the match. Keuka responded with five straight to keep the set within reach. The Wolves came all the way back to tie the set at 15-15. The teams traded rallies as Poly took a lead, but the Wolves came back. In the end, it was SUNY Poly who would prevail, winning the first set 25-23.

The flow would flip in the second set as Keuka College had an early lead. The Wolves extended their advantage to 17-11 on the serve of Marcus Davic, forcing SUNY Poly to a timeout. The Wildcats cut the Keuka lead to two at 22-20, but the Wolves converted the final three points to take the second 25-20 and level the match.

Keuka once again took an early lead over the Wildcats in the third. The Wolves led 7-3, but SUNY Poly tied the match up at 7-7 and later took a 13-10 lead over Keuka. The third proved to be the closest set with four lead changes and the set being tied nine times, both match-highs. Despite the close nature, Keuka played their best set of the match. The Wolves had 11 kills against just two errors, hitting .409 in the set. The Wolves won the third 25-21 to take a 2-1 lead over SUNY Poly.

SUNY Poly took a 10-3 lead to start the fourth, but the Wolves responded immediately on the serve of Cole Riley. During the run, Keuka ended three points with blocks and drew it back to a one-point game at 10-9. Keuka would later tie the set at 11-11. Following the set being tied 13-13, the Wolves began to push a lead. Three straight for SUNY Poly tied the set at 21-21 late, forcing Keuka to use a timeout. After the break, Keuka got kills from Brad McKnight and Solomon Shabazz. McKnight added an aces and Gavin Record ended the match with a kill as the Wolves took the fourth 25-21 to win the match 3-1.

KC Notes:

Keuka College snapped a nine-game losing streak to SUNY Poly. The Wolves are now 3-16 all-time against the Wildcats

It was Keuka's first win over SUNY Poly at the JMW Recreation and Athletics Center

Keuka won its fourth straight NEAC opener and improve to 6-2 in their first conference game of the season

The offense flowed through Kamren Record as the junior finished with 31 assists

Keuka had a strong net game against the Wildcats. The Wolves posted 12 blocks as a team, ninth most in a four-set match in program history

Emmett O'Brien led the blocking efforts with five total blocks in the match, including a pair of solo blocks

Up Next for Keuka College: The Wolves remain on their home floor tomorrow as Keuka College closes the weekend against the College of St. Elizabeth in a North Eastern Athletic Conference game. The conference match between the Wolves and the Eagles will start at 1pm at the JMW Recreation and Athletics Center.

Harvard Men’s Volleyball Sweeps Mount Olive to Move to 7-2Men’s Volleyball Sweeps Mount Olive to Move to 7-2
gocrimson.com
Saturday, February 8, 2020

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – The Harvard men's volleyball team defeated Mount Olive (7-5, 3-0 Conference Carolinas) to move to 7-2 (1-0 EIVA) on the season. The Crimson defeated the Trojans in straight sets, winning by set scores of 25-23, 25-22 and 25-13.

Offensively, junior Griffin Schmit tallied the most kills on the day with 12, followed closely by sophomore Eric Li with 11. Schmit also had the second-highest hitting percentage with .579, while first-year Ethan Smith totaled a .429 hitting percentage, with four kills on seven attacks. Li and fellow sophomore Campbell Schoenfeld also had a hitting percentage above .300.

At the service line, Smith recorded a career-high two aces. Both senior captain Matthew Ctvrtlik and sophomore Ryan Hong had one ace.

Defensively, Schmit also led the teams in digs with nine, while Ctvrtlik had eight and senior captain Chase Howard had seven. First-year Ethan McCrary totaled a career-high six block assists. Schoenfeld recorded four blocks in the match, one solo and three block assists.

Harvard Highlights

Sophomore Ryan Hong earned a perfect 1.000 hitting percentage, totaling two kills on two attacks.

The team totaled a .395 hitting percentage.

Schmit only had one attacking error in the match.

On eight digs, Ctvrtlik only totaled one receiving error.

Up Next

The Crimson will travel to George Mason for back-to-back contests on Feb. 14 and 15. Friday's match will begin at 7 p.m., while Saturday's is set to start at 3 p.m.

Marymount Men's Volleyball Slips In First CVC Matchup To No. 10 Juniata
marymountsaints.com
Friday, February 7, 2020

HUNTINGDON, Pa. - The Marymount University men's volleyball team grinded out three close sets to No. 10 Juniata in its first Continental Volleyball Conference match of the season, falling 3-0 (25-21, 25-19, 30-28). 

Led by the eighth-straight double-digit kill performance of senior Sam Safley with a match-high 19 kills, the Saints remained tight with the Eagles throughout the whole. 

In the first set, it was the Saints that jumped out in front quick with the first four points of the match with kills by Safley, sophomore Raymond Tarasi and freshman Hayden Kerekes and a service ace by sophomore Miles Olson. 

Marymount maintained a lead throughout much of the set, losing it for the first time at 19-18. Neck and neck through 21-21, eventually the Eagles hit a four-point stretch to close out set one, 25-21.

The second game started out similar to the first, with three-straight kills for the Saints, two by Safley and one by Tarasi. Again, MU held the advantage to 13-11 until a four-point run for Juniata put it in the driver seat for the rest of the set, taking the two-game lead with a 25-19 decision.

In the third, the Saints didn't trail until the final few points in regulation, as they looked to push the match to a fourth set. With a 21-19 advantage, MU saw the Eagles hit another four-point stretch to take their first lead of the game, 23-21. However, the Saints responded with three points of their own to put the game at set point and force the Eagles into a timeout. 

The break proved useful, as the teams traded points deep into the third set before Juniata earned back-to-back kills to take the match, 30-28. 

Safley's 19 points were at an impressive .395 clip, while Olson and Tarasi chipped in for a combined 13 kills. Senior Joseph Zanelotti sent out a team-high 35 assists, while also leading the team in digs with eight. 

The Saints continue league play on Saturday, February 8, traveling to Elizabethtown College for a 1 p.m., start.

Medaille Men's Volleyball Drops Two vs. UC Santa Cruz and Lasell
Matt Dickerson led the team with 15 kills on Friday
medaillesports.com
Friday, February 7, 2020

ROCHESTER, NY - The Men's Volleyball team traveled to Rochester, NY to participate in two matches the first against University of California at Santa Cruz, and the second against Lasell University. The Mavs came into the matches looking to improve on their (3-2) record.

In the first match of the day the Mavericks took the Slugs the distance not dropping a match by more than four points. In the second set the Mavericks took it to extra points. Ultimately UC Santa Cruz took the match (3-0). (25-21, 27-25, 25-22).

Matt Dickerson (Lockport, NY, Starpoint) led the Mavs with (9) kills against the Slugs, helping him to (10.0) points along with his one service ace on the afternoon. 

Other noteable performances for the blue and gold were Malachi Jackson (Cheektowaga, NY, Cheektowaga Central) with (8) kills and one ace good for (9.0) points of his own. Shawn Barbalato (Williamsville, NY, Williamsville South) and Nick Patterson (Amherst, NY, Amherst Central) combined for a block and each recorded solo blocks of their own.

In the second match of the day again the Mavericks kept things close throughout the match. Dropping set one (23-25), dropping set two (17-25), and dropping set three (22-25). Lasell won the match (3-0).

Chris Pauline Jr. (North Tonawanda, NY, North Tonawanda) and Shawn Barbalato each recorded (7) kills of their own against the Lasers. 

Matt Dickerson continued his strong play throughout the day recording (9) points on (6) kills, a solo block, and two block assists.

Malachi Jackson added (6) more kills in the second match of the day.

The Mavericks will return to play tomorrow February 8th, and they will take on Johnson & Wales University at 3pm in Rochester, NY.

Ninth-Ranked Men's Volleyball Drops To No. 5 Long Beach State
gopsusports.com
Friday, February 7, 2020

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The No. 9 Penn State men's volleyball team took an early lead on No. 5 Long Beach State, but the Nittany Lions dropped straight sets after that in a 3-1 defeat (26-24, 24-26, 19-25, 19-25) at the Covelli Center on Ohio State's campus Friday evening.

Penn State (4-5) had three players reach double-digits in kills and three total players record double-doubles, but only managed to hit .200 (47-24-115) for the match as a team.

Long Beach State (6-1) found more of an offensive rhythm after dropping the first set, hitting .444 for the final three games.

HOW IT HAPPENED

The first two sets did not show the most efficient offensive volleyball ever played, but both sets were very tight throughout. The largest lead was four points for Penn State in the first set at 18-14, but Long Beach was able to close that gap and retake the lead 21-19.

Penn State persevered however, as the Nittany Lions stormed back to tie the score at 22-22 on a Sam Marsh kill. Long Beach had set point at 24-23, but the Penn State wouldn't let the game go the Beach's way.

Henrik Falck Lauten finished the three-point run to end the set with a service ace giving Penn State the 26-24 game one win.

Service aces were a common theme for Falck Lauten who finished with a personal best five total for the match. He had two more service aces in a row to put Penn State ahead 16-14 in the second game.

Long Beach managed to tie the score again and took the lead late again at 23-21 thanks to a three-point run. The Beach had two game point chances at 24-22 and 24-23 but another ace from Falck Lauten tied the game 24-24. The Beach ended up securing the set, however, to tie the match 1-1 by scoring the next two points.

The third set was all Long Beach early as it sped out to an 11-4 advantage in the frame. Penn State was able to creep its way back into contention in the set with a 6-1 scoring run to trail 18-15, but that was the closest the Nittany Lions got in the set as the Beach won by six.

Penn State fell behind early in the fourth game 10-6 and 14-10 a few points later but put together a furious rally, winning five of the next seven points to trail by just one, 15-14, and forced Long Beach to call a timeout.

The Beach's timeout came at the right time as they rattled off five of the next six points to regain a five-point lead. Penn State never pulled the margin to closer than four as Long Beach won its match-clinching game, 25-19.

GAME NOTES

Brett Wildman led Penn State for the fourth-consecutive match with 15 kills at a .250 (15-7-32) rate. He has seven-straight matches of double-digit kills and has reached at least 10 kills in eight of nine matches this season. 

Calvin Mende set a new career high with 13 digs to go with 10 kills for his first career double-double. 

Henrik Falck Lauten started his first match since the season-opener at BYU Jan. 10 and posted his second career double-double with 10 kills and 11 digs to go with his new single-match high in service aces.

Cole Bogner also recorded a double-double with a 40-assist, 10-dig effort. He also led Penn State with four total blocks. 

Sam Marsh joined Jason Donorovich in the middle for his second start of the season. For the night, the pair hit .375 (11-2-24), with six kills coming from Marsh, a personal-best. 

NEXT UP

Penn State returns to the Covelli Center Saturday afternoon to face No. 3 UC Santa Barbara in another good nonconference matchup at 4:30.

Harvard Men’s Volleyball Downs Barton 3-1
gocrimson.com
Friday, February 7, 2020

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – The Harvard men's volleyball team defeated Barton, 3-1, to earn its fourth-straight win of the season and move to 6-2 (1-0 EIVA). The Crimson won the first set, 25-15, before dropping a closely-contested second set, 26-24. However, Harvard would come back to take the next two sets by set scores of 25-23 and 25-16 to earn the victory.

Offensively, five members of the Crimson earned above a .300 hitting percentage. First-year Ethan Smith led the team, hitting .700 with seven kills on 10 attacks and zero errors. Sophomore Campbell Schoenfeld totaled a team-high 17 kills, while hitting at a .406 clip. Senior captain Matthew Ctvrtlik led Harvard in assists with 40.

At the service line, Ctvrtlik recorded six aces, while sophomore Eric Li recorded three, a new career-high. Both junior Griffin Schmit and first-year Ethan McCrary had two aces of their own.

Defensively, Schoenfeld tallied seven digs to lead the Crimson. Smith and McCrary each had one solo block and Smith added another three block assists onto his total. McCrary, Schmit and Schoenfeld each had two block assists on the night.

Harvard Highlights 

Ctvrtlik's six aces in the match is a new career high.
Harvard earned a team hitting percentage of .396.
Schoenfeld posted zero receiving errors.

Up Next

The Crimson returns to the Malkin Athletic Center tomorrow, Feb. 8, to face Mount Olive at 2 p.m. The match will be broadcast on ESPN+.

Cougars Dominate Knights in CVC Opener
keanathletics.com
Friday, February 7, 2020

ASTON, Pa. (2/7/20) – Jared Ray posted double digit kills for the fifth time this season as the Kean University men's volleyball team opened the Continental Volleyball Conference slate with a straight sets sweep of Neumann University, 3-0 on Friday evening.

Ray finished with 12 kills and a .364 hitting percentage for the Cougars who improve to 2-6 overall and 1-0 in the CVC. Conner Kolek totaled four kills and six digs for the Knights who fall to 2-6 overall and 0-1 in the CVC.

After being tied 6-6 to start the opening set, Kean used a 7-2 run to take a 12-7 advantage. The Cougars kicked off the run with a Jonathan Meyer kill, followed by three straight errors, before ending with back-to-back kills from Ray. Kean coasted for the rest of the set with a .357 hitting percentage, while holding the Knights to a -.077 percentage.

The second set saw Ray and Seth Russell combine for nine kills with a .308 percentage in the 25-12 victory. Kean opened with a 14-5 run, including an 8-2 run to start as the Cougars coasted. The final set was identical as the previous one as Kean opened with a 7-2 run and posted a match-high .364 hitting percentage.

Russell totaled seven kills and three digs, while Maxim Kostin tallied six kills and three digs. Meyer posted five kills, while Zach Gerken and Stephen Reynolds both finished with two kills apiece. Gerken added 17 assists, while Zach Noll handed out 10 assists. Ray collected seven digs, while Andrew Lukasisuk added six.

Head Coach Charlie Ginex and the Cougars will return to action tomorrow, Sat. Feb. 8th, hosting Lehman College and Messiah College for a tri-match beginning at 10:00 a.m.

D'Youville Opens up Golden Flyer Invite Friday Afternoon
athletics.dyc.edu
Friday, February 7, 2020

Rochester, NY - The D'Youville men's volleyball team opened up their weekend at the Golden Flyer Invitational - hosted by Nazareth College - with 3-0 losses to the Nazareth Golden Flyer and the Johnson & Wales Wildcats.

D'Youville began the day against the host Golden Flyers and played extremely competitively. The Spartans had the early advantage over Nazareth at 11-8 before the set would come to a tie at 13-13. Several points later, Naz would go ahead 20-18 on their way to a 25-20 first set victory. 

In the second, the score was tied 4-4 early with Naz taking the lead at 9-5. The Golden Flyer would go ahead by three at 14-11 before D'Youville would go ahead 20-18. However, Nazareth would overtake the Spartans late to with the second 25-21.

The third set saw another back-and-forth between the two teams to the very end. Down by four the Spartans would score three consecutive points to trail 13-14. Naz would pull ahead by five before D'Youville would again turn it on to tie the third at 23-23. Unfortunately for the Spartans, the final two points of the match would come from the Golden Flyers as they took the third 25-23 and the match 3-0.

Dan Busha (Hamburg, NY/St. Francis) led the team with six kills, followed by Anthony Dean (Niagara Falls, NY/Niagara Falls) with four. Both Karl Jauch (Lockport, NY/Starpoint) and Mitch Mason (Eden, NY/Eden) led the team with three digs while Jauch tallied a team-high 11 assists. Ali Khadra (Williamsville, NY/Williamsville East) registered three kills and three blocks while Joshua Hoy (Grand Island, NY/Grand Island) added four blocks. Danny Steck (Lancaster, NY/St. Francis) recorded five kills while Troy Stancampiano (Williamsville, NY/Williamsville East) had two digs.

The Spartans went ahead early in their second match of the day, leading 6-5 against Johnson & Wales. Over the next several points, the Wildcats went up 14-8 and then led to the end, winning the first 25-18. D'Youville would lead in the second 12-6 after six unanswered points. Johnson & Wales would then turn it on to lead 13-12 and then take the second 25-17. 

Again in the third, the Spartans led early 10-7 before the Wildcats would come back to tie the third at 10. D'Youville would trail 15-16 and then by two at 18-20 as Johnson & Wales went on to win the third set 25-21 and the match 3-0.

Busha again led the team with nine kills as Dean added six. Mason and Jauch again tied for the team lead with four digs each and Jauch recorded a team-high 18 assists. Steck tallied four blocks in the match with one kills.

D'Youville will resume the Golden Flyer Invite on Saturday as they play UC Santa Cruz at 11:00am and Lasell at 1:00pm.

#14 Endicott Fends off #13 Leopards
wentworthathletics.com
Thursday, February 6, 2020

Boston, Mass. – In a battle between two teams that sit one spot apart in the national poll, the No. 13 Wentworth men's volleyball team fell in four sets to No. 14 Endicott inside Tansey Gym on Thursday evening. Endicott took the opening two sets by scores of 25-16 and 25-18, before the Leopards spoiled the sweep and forced set four with a triumphant 33-31 win in the third. Endicott narrowly escaped the fourth set, 26-24 for the non-conference win.

RECORDS

Wentworth 6-2
Endicott 6-2

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE – STATISTICAL LEADERS

Kills: Drew Potter (10), Alex McLane (10 - .474), Tristan McDonough (7)
Digs: Peter Klembczyk (9), Drew Potter (8), Connor Adams (4)
Assists: Connor Adams (32)

HOW IT HAPPENED

Endicott took the Leopards down in the opening two sets by storm, hitting .560 in the first and .360 in the second. Wentworth switched around its personnel and settled into a high-spirit rhythm in the third, hitting a team-high .349. The set, which featured 18 ties and four lead changes, went the distance until junior David Marsh (Springfield, Mass.) put the Leopards on the board with a final ace and the 33-31 set win. In the waning plays leading up to the triumph, sophomores Drew Potter (Towson, Md.) and Drew Hesse (Eden, N.Y.) spoiled the lead for the Gulls with back-to-back kills, while Hesse gave Wentworth the final match-point off a pass from Connor Adams (Budd Lake, N.J.).
Both teams battled point-for-point in the fourth until Endicott's Gabe Felicetti put down a roaring kill that broke a 24-24 tie. Felicetti and Bryn Lipton denied the Leopards' final attack and sealed the set and the match.

NOTES

McDonough and McLane each notched career-highs on offense
Adams' 32 assists set a new season-high for the sophomore
The loss is the first for the Leopards since January 25th

THE SERIES

Wentworth has won the past three of five matches with the Gulls, while Endicott holds a 24-10 advantage in the all-time series.

NEXT

Wentworth caps a five-match homestand with a 12:00 p.m. non-conference matchup with Illinois Tech.

Boys 18s: Bay to Bay sparkles in Chicago, big wins for Rockstar, Future, Warren, Thundercats
By Mike Miazga, volleyballmag.com
Wednesday, February 5, 2020

Future 18 Elite left Chicago 29-7 for the season

Chicago treated the San Jose, California-based Bay to Bay club well at the recent Boys Winter Championships qualifier.

Bay to Bay sent five squads to McCormick Place in Chicago with four making the open finals, including wins at 15 and 16.

Bay to Bay club director Arielle Houlihan noted Bay to Bay played in three January qualifiers.

“January is a fun month for us,” she said. “It is a lot of volleyball in a short amount of time, but it really prepares our athletes to play at the highest level. Playing in the four finals was really special this year. We are looking forward to carrying this over to the summer in Anaheim and Reno (boys junior nationals).

Bay to Bay’s 15-1 team won the title at 15 Open, going 8-0 and defeating WPVC 15 Armour out of Florida in the finals.

“The team played consistent, calm and confident, while determined to finish with a win,” coach Matthew Frankenstein said. “Our ball control and defense was very good.”

Sudhit Rao and Owen Smith led the back row for Bay to Bay.

“With Sudhit and Owen, the ball didn’t hit the floor too much,” Frankenstein said. “Every player we had showed up to perform, and every player delivered beyond expectation. This is a group of tenured champions hungry for another win. I feel their ability to overcome team injuries during bid season hints at a positive summer in Anaheim and Reno.”

Bay to Bay’s 16s team also won the title in Chicago, but not before enduring some challenging logistical issues.

Coach Chad Gordon’s squad, which went 7-1 in the tournament and defeated Canadian-based Thundercats in the championship match, had difficulties getting into Chicago due to weather. Gordon noted the tournament directors switched Bay to Bay to the PM wave so it could play with six players.

“We finally had enough to play and survived our pool Day 1, losing to a solid Adversity team,” he said. “We rebounded on days two and three. We reached the finals, only to lose our starting setter after the first set due to an early flight. To his credit, our opposite, who had played a 6-2 earlier this year, rose to the occasion and we were able to finish out the finals in two. Our staff is ecstatic to get back in the gym after the high school season and continue building on a fall full of learning and growth.”

The Bay to Bay 17-1 team finished second at 17 Open, going 7-1. 352 Elite out of Florida defeated Bay to Bay in the championship. Coach Matt Houlihan noted himself and wife, Arielle (Bay to Bay’s club director), were not in Chicago due to the impending birth of their second daughter.

Assistant coach Josh Stewart (a Pepperdine 2018 graduate) took the controls in Chicago. The Houlihans were able to watch every match on the BallerTV feed.

“We were fortunate to play those last two weekends with our Open bid in hand, so we were able to take great steps as a team,” Matt Houlihan said. “We look forward to getting back into the gym with our guys soon. We can’t wait for junior nationals in Reno.”

Team Rockstar 18s in Chicago

Team Rockstar 18s — The Southern California-based Team Rockstar 18s squad made the trek east to Chicago at the Boys Winter Championships and came away with 18 Open gold there.

Coach Matt Fuerbringer’s squad went 8-1 in the Windy City, defeating suburban Chicago-based Future 18 Elite in the final.

“We have been working hard all year on playing hard, but also being in control of our emotions,” he said. “It’s not always easy to balance when you are competing. This tournament, our boys competed so hard and played with a lot of fire, but when we faced adversity we stuck to our game plan, trusted our teammates and kept our composure. I was very proud of our growth in this area. Technically, we dug more balls than we usually do and did a great job converting those digs into points.”

Fuerbringer was particularly impressed with the team’s composure in the quarterfinals against Sports Performance, another suburban Chicago-based squad.

“We had a big comeback in the quarterfinals against a very good SPRI team,” he said. “We won the first, lost the second and got down by four in the third. Both teams were really battling on the court and there was over-the-top trash talking on both sides, so it was a pretty heated match. In the end we made a couple more plays than they did and got the win, but both teams played great.”

Defense again stepped to the forefront in the title match. “We really dug the ball well and seemed to win the big rallies in the sets we won,” said Fuerbringer. “I was also very proud of how the boys responded after ending the second set very poorly.”

While players such as Sam Collins, Dane Johnson, Matt Iamaeleva and Sinjin Choi were key cogs, Fuerbringer stressed the entire Rockstar roster stepped it up throughout the tournament.

“This really is a true team,” he said. “Everyone is consistently contributing. All the boys contributed in this tournament from our leading point-scorer all the way down the bench.”

Collins and Johnson are headed to UC Santa Barbara, while Iamaeleva is a Long Beach State recruit. “We have lots of other great kids who still are uncommitted,” Fuerbringer noted.

Rockstar will reconvene after the high school season. “We need to keep getting more consistent in our side-out game and continue to develop our serving if we want to reach our ultimate goal of JO gold.”

Future 18 Elite — Rockstar’s 18 Open title opponent Future 18 Elite is loaded with the top talent from the Chicagoland area.

Coach Jacob Stone’s team came out of McCormick Place’s South Hall with a 29-7 overall record after going 6-3 in Chicago.

“The boys played with confidence and a level head, not letting the losses that we took get to them,” he said. “This was most evident when we were able to defeat a team that we had lost to earlier in the tournament. Our strongest suit is our size and power, and the boys played to that strength with aggressive play.”

Stone liked how his team played early in the Rockstar match.

“In both the first and second sets we did a great job of staying in control of the match, never letting Rockstar get more than one or two points in a row,” he said. “Our serve-receive was on point, which allowed us to get the matchups at the net we wanted. Credit to Rockstar, they did an excellent job of slowing the match down and not letting us get in our groove. The match slipped from our fingers when Rockstar began to pick apart our defense with some well-placed balls.”

Stone noted Future was down 6-2 in the second set and went on an eight-point run started by a big Zeo Meyer (Wheaton-Warrenville South High School, BYU recruit) block, followed by strong serving.

Stone referenced a win against Yorktown in the first round of the Gold playoffs. Future lost to Yorktown in the first day of the tournament.

“We were able to find an answer for their outside,” he said. “The boys showed an incredible ability to run away with games with their energy.”

Stone was particularly pleased with the play of middle blockers Bryce Walker out of Wheaton St. Francis High School and a Purdue-Ft. Wayne commit, and Jimmy Meinhart out of Glenbard West High School who is uncommitted at this point.

“We did not come up against a team that was able to stop them out of the middle,” Stone said. “They both did an outstanding job blocking.”

Also helping were Glenbard West’s Ben Harrington (Princeton) and Meyer. “Having players such as Ben and Zeo makes things easy as a coach with both being consistently excellent on the court,” Stone said.

Junior Evan Markworth (Lyons Township High School, uncommitted) also raised his play. “Evan played some of the best volleyball I have seen him play in his time at the club,” Stone said. “He made some key offensive plays when the team needed him to.”

Meyer, Harrington and Walker are the team captains.

“Our three captains are doing an excellent job of leading this team and finding a way to stand out on an already incredibly talented team,” Stone said. “These three players have the ability to completely take over a game, which is very fun to watch.

“This is an incredibly talented group of kids that loves the game of volleyball. As a coach, they are a joy to be around. We are an excellent offensive team that can run away with any game, however to allow our big hitters to be successful, our defense and serve-receive has to improve. One dig is all it will take for us in order to get a kill. The boys are getting there.”

Warren clinched a bid in Rochester

Warren Sixpack 18-1 — The New Jersey-based Warren Sixpack 18-1s team didn’t lose a set (16-0) en route to winning the 18 Open title at the recent Rochester (New York) Can-Am qualifier. The 8-0 run moved Six Pack to 25-4 overall, which covers three local tournaments and two bid tournaments.

“The boys have been putting in the time in the gym to get better,” coach Krys Pescinski said. “I have been telling them all season that this is one of the most talented teams I have ever coached, and if they put the work in at practice we will see the results in games. It’s the team-wide mindset that everyone contributes, whether you are a starter or a bench guy. Everyone trusts that in the moment, when we need a guy to step up, everyone can do it.”

A pair of key cogs for Sixpak have been outside hitter Chris Larkin and middle Toby Ezeonu.

“Chris has been fantastic all year,” said Pescinski. “He went from being a talented, but streaky hitter to a more consistent all-around player. His commitment to working on defense and blocking, while still retaining his hitting abilities has made him an all-around force. We have a very balanced team, so he doesn’t have to do it all, but he definitely wants the ball in key moments, and in Rochester, he made the most of those opportunities. Chris has been incredible. He always had the talent, but it was up to him to decide to harness it and really focus on becoming a true six-rotation player.”

Setter Griffin Fiesler has been around the program for a decade dating back to when Pescinski coached his oldest brother, Jack. “Griffing has such a good feel for the game and command of the offense that he is truly able to take advantage of all the weapons we have on the court,” Pescinski said.

Ezeonu played on the 18s team last year as well.

“It was nice to add him to our team this year,” Pescinski said. “At 6-7 with a ridiculous vertical and a wingspan you can’t imagine, not only is he an animal at the net, but his mere presence opens up the block for our hitters and changes the way other teams run their offenses as well.”

Pescinski said it took the whole roster contributing to come out on top in the finale against New England-based SMASH 18-1.

“The championship was a great example of every player on the team being ready to contribute and play whatever position was necessary,” he said. “Due to injury, we were down to only one true outside in the finals, leading to some guys needing to play out of position. Our starting opposite played outside and our defensive specialist played opposite. We had no subs, but every guy was ready to do whatever it took to get the win. We went in feeling like it was our tournament to lose after picking up a huge second-set comeback in the semifinals against Niagara Frontier.”

Sixpack dug deep as well in the Niagara contest.

“It was a huge win,” the coach said. “Midway through the second set we were down maybe 19-15 and our outside went down with a twisted ankle. The only sub we hadn’t used yet was one of our middles, Justin Wright. Even though we were losing and could have just let it go to a third set, the boys kept fighting. We adjusted our serve-receive to put our hitters in the spots they were most comfortable and Griffin did a great job of running an offense that took advantage of those unique looks.”

Sixpack got down 24-18 and ran off six in a row to tie the game, “through a combination of aces, blocks, timely digs and big swings to eventually put ourselves in a position to win (28-26),” Pescinski said.

Ezeonu is headed to Penn State, while Fiesler is an NJIT commit. Outside Mark Berry is headed to Sacred Heart, while libero Alex Work will play at Springfield and Vaughn McConnell is headed to Arcadia.

“We have to continue to focus on our serving, serve-receive and defense,” Pescinski said. “We are trying to find the right balance for this group between aggressive serving, which can result in those high-variance games of lots of aces or lots of errors, or if we should be a smarter-serving team, allowing our blockers and defense more opportunities to make plays. Obviously, it was nice to win Can-Am, but the goal is to peak at the end of the season.”

The Thundercats from Ontario did well in Chicago

Thundercats 16U — The Thundercats Volleyball 16U team out of Richmond Hill, Ontario, brought eight players to the Boys Winter Championships in Chicago and ended up going 6-3 there in 16 Open.

“What led to our success I would say is that we serve tough and passed great all weekend, which always is the basis of success in volleyball,” coach Alesandro Marques noted. “But more importantly, the intensity and fighting attitude from this group was the best I have seen all year. Because of this, they played the best defense I have seen them play. We were aggressive with our secondary setting and our out-of-system attacking allowed us to steal critical points throughout sets. Another thing I would say is our setters trusted all our hitters, even when some had to play out of position, and we were able to run a balanced, efficient offense.”

Danill Hershtynovich, a 6-6 right side-outside hitter, led the team in kills and blocks in Chicago, while Justin Banks, a 6-2 outside, led the team in kill percentage and aces.

“Justin had to play middle the majority of this tournament due to our numbers, but he did not get libbed off in the back row because of his passing and backrow attacking abilities,” Marques noted.

Outside Marcus Cheung led the team in passing quality, serve quality and had the second-highest kill percentage in Chicago. The 5-10 Cheung has a 42-inch vertical. Setters Andrew Haber and Scott Dione also played well. Marques mentioned Hershtynovich, Banks, Cheung, Haber and Dione all are 15U eligible.

Thundercats avenged an earlier loss to Sports Performance in the quarterfinals, came back from being down 24-21 in the first set to OCVC and won in three in the semifinals before playing its ninth match of the weekend with eight players in the final against Bay to Bay.

“The boys fought hard the entire match,” Marques said. “We would have to play our very best to compete with Bay to Bay, and unfortunately we didn’t have the legs to finish the finals like we did the quarters and semis.”

Niagara Frontier 17 Gold — Niagara Frontier mowed through the 17 Open division at Rochester Can-Am, going 8-0 in matches and 16-1 in sets.

No shortage of key plays were made at Can-Am by the likes of setter Ethan Weislo, outside Jake Basinski and libero Jackson Strong.

“Ethan is starting to understand the intricacies of the game and how to effectively run an offense,” Niagara Frontier coach Justin Waldorf said. “He did an exceptional job in Rochester of keying on offensive mismatches and finding hot hitters. He is also our biggest weapon from the service line, leading the team in aces.”

Waldorf likes how Basinski turns things up a notch when the chips are on the line.

“Jake is a huge weapon for us on the outside, but one of his best attributes and something I appreciate the most as a coach is his ability to find another gear in big matches,” he said. “In tight matches and in the playoffs, you can always count on Jake to be playing his best volleyball. When that is the case, he’s going to be really tough to stop.”

Waldorf calls outsides Weislo and Basinski “super dynamic players,” he said. “They have a full complement of volleyball skills and IQ. These guys can score from anywhere on the court and they can do it efficiently. On top of that, they are both good for one or two blocks per match and for some amazing defensive plays. These two are leaders of our team and will definitely be strong players at the next level in a couple years.”

Libero Jackson Strong is “arguably one of the best athletes in any gym we walk into,” the coach said. “He proved yet again in this tournament that he can play at the highest levels. He anchored our serve-receive and defense and made a few plays in matches that could have easily gone down as a kill, but instead he makes a dig, which allowed us to manufacturer points in transition. Keep an eye on Jackson, because he is a really fun player to watch take over a match on defense, which is pretty rare, and he can run off a few points from his serve, too.”

Niagara downed Pace Bootlegger out of Rochester in the 17 Open title match.

“We took care of the ball on our side and dictated play on the opponent’s side of the net,” Waldorf explained. “We came up against a really strong Pace club, but they were often out of system, and we were able to key on their pin hitters during those plays. Again, we served really well and that allowed our blockers to effectively read their setter and hitters, and put up solid double blocks on the majority of their swings. Anchored by Jackson, we played really good defense around those blocks and were able to terminate in transition more often than not.”

Waldorf loved his team’s plan of attack in Rochester.

“We are a really tough serving team, which affords us a lot of extended runs, but what really drove our success in Rochester was not only our ability to dictate play form our serves, but also our exceptional passing in serve-receive,” he said. “We were able to go on long runs with our serves and side out efficiently through all attacking zones. When we are scoring out of the middle, back row and both pins, it is going to be tough for any team to match up against us, and that’s what we managed really well throughout the tournament, ball control and offensive variety.”

Niagara came back from a first-set loss to Warren Sixpack in the final match of the second day to win and then won its semifinal against Club Lehigh 25-6, 25-12, which allowed for some rest prior to the PACE contest.

Pace Bootlegger 15s at CanAm 2020

Pace Bootlegger 15 Black — A 9-0 record at Can-Am improved Pace to 18-4 overall, which includes a trip to California for the Boys Invitational and the Rochester Holiday Hopper tournament, which Pace played up a level at 16s.

Coach Adam Dake noted his team features a core that has been playing together since it was in the 11U division. “Two more joined at 13 and the final three joined this team in the last two years,” Dake added. “We have an unbelievably strong team-focused mentality.”

At Can-Am, 6-2 setter Parker Schoenl ran a diverse offense, while 6-0 outside Carter Dittman led the team in kills. Middle Will Kirchhoff (6-3) was a force at the net on the block, while defensive specialist Logan Romeika was key on defense and libero Zach Zian was a serve-receive stalwart.

Pace defeated New York-based LVC 15 Black in the 15 Open title match. “We approached the championship match knowing that this was our best opportunity for our bid to Reno,” Dake said. “We are an offensively focused team that can side-out well. This plus our ability to quickly adjust from what we saw on the other side of the net, along with learning from our own mistakes, allowed us to adjust our game plan and stay fluid.”

Dake noted the team’s trip to California was key. Pace finished 13th there. “It was a solid experience,” he said. “We were able to play five top-10 teams. Missing players hurt us, but did not detour us from the experience.”

Pace will play in a total of five qualifiers this season.

“We decided we would be one of the most traveled teams in the nation,” Dake said. “This would give us an opportunity to be challenged by the top teams in the country and raise our game to a higher level. The club goal has always been to be top 10 in the nation. This teams wants to push to be a top-five team and has dedicated itself to do the work necessary in the gym and on the court to accomplish that. With the outstanding contributions of Ethan Williams, Kenny Frankovich, Owen Pender, Robert Evangelists and Nick Yattaw, I feel this is a definite possibility.”

Bids update — Here are the latest qualified teams in the Open divisions for the 2020 boys junior national championships in Reno.
18s Open: Team Rockstar, 949, Arizona Fear, Balboa Bay, Bay to Bay, Chicago Bounce, Coast, Future, MB Surf, Sports Academy, Milwaukee, MVP Academy, Ocean Bay, Pace Bootlegger, Spike and Serve, SCVC, SMASH, Sports Performance, The HBC, Uno, Vanguard, Warren Sixpack, Wave, Yorktowne
17s Open: Team Rockstar, 352 Elite, 949, Adversity, Annapolis, Arizona Fear, Balboa Bay, Bay to Bay, Club Lehigh, Coastal VA, HP St. Louis, MB Surf, MVVC, Niagara Frontier, OCVC, Pacific Rim, San Juan VC, SCVC, San Gabriel Elite, Wave, Yorktowne.
16s Open: 352 Elite, Arizona Fear, Balboa Bay 16 Blue, Balboa Bay 16 White, Bay to Bay, Coast, D1 Elite, Florida MOJO, HP St. Louis, K2C2, MB Surf, Milwaukee, MVP Academy, MVVC, Niagara Frontier, OCVC, Pacific Rim, Spike and Serve, Smash, Sports Performance, Vaqueros, Vegas United, Yorktowne
15s Open: Team Rockstar, A4, 352 Elite, 630 Volleyball 15-1, 630 Volleyball 15-2, 949, Adversity, Arizona Fear, Balboa Bay, Bay to Bay, Chicago Bounce, Durham Attack, Lockport VBC, MB Surf, Milwaukee Sting, Maryland Volleyball Program, MVVC, NCVC, Pace Bootlegger, SCVC, Ultimate, Wave, WPVC

Next time: A look at the Florida Fest and Southwest Boys Classic bid tournaments.

Ray Posts Double-Digit Kills in Fourth Match as Cougars Swept by Lancaster Bible
keanathletics.com
Tuesday, February 4, 2020

LANCASTER, Pa. (2/4/20) – Jared Ray posted double-digit kills for the fourth time this season as the Kean University men's volleyball team dropped a non-conference match to Lancaster Bible College, 3-0 on Tuesday evening.

Kyran Flahive finished with 11 kills for the Chargers who improve to 8-2 overall. Ray totaled 12 kills for the Cougars who fall to 1-6 overall.

Lancaster hit .478 for the match, while committing just eight errors and limiting Kean to a .152 hitting percentage. The Chargers posted double-digit kills in all three sets, while hitting north of .420 in the sweep.

Seth Russell finished with six kills and two aces, while Jonathan Meyer totaled five kills and five digs. Zach Noll and Zach Gerken combined for 23 assists.

Head Coach Charlie Ginex and the Cougars will return to action in Aston, Pa. on Friday, Feb. 7th, against the Knights of Neumann University in their CVC opener at 7:00 p.m.

Harvard Men’s Volleyball Victorious in Home Opener Against St. Francis Brooklyn
gocrimson.com
Sunday, February 2, 2020

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – In its first home match of the 2020 season, the Harvard men's volleyball team (5-2, 1-0 EIVA) defeated St. Francis Brooklyn (2-3) in four sets. In the matchup between the two teams, the Crimson earned the victory with set scores of 25-23, 25-18, 23-25 and 25-14.

Six members of the Crimson earned an above .300 hitting percentage, including Ryan Hong, who had four kills on five attacks for a team-high .800 clip. Fellow sophomore Cambell Schoenfeld once again led Harvard in kills with 16, followed closely by Eric Li who totaled 15.

At the service line, Li led the Crimson in aces with two straight in the first set. Junior Adam Gordon, senior captain Matthew Ctvrtlik and Schoenfeld each recorded one ace.

Defensively, Schoenfeld totaled a team-high 12 digs, while Ctvrtlik tallied 11. Schoenfeld also recorded two block assists and three members of the Crimson each had one.

Harvard Highlights

Schoenfeld only posted two errors in 36 total attacks.

This marks the fourth time this season that Li has recorded at least two aces.

Ctvrtlik led the team in assists with 49.

Harvard recorded a team hitting percentage of .441, its highest total of the season.

Up Next

The Crimson will continue play at home Friday, Feb. 7 at 7 p.m. against Barton and Saturday, Feb. 8 at 2 p.m. against Mount Olive. Both matches will be played at the Malkin Athletic Center and be broadcast on ESPN+.

Keuka College Aces Tri-Match
keukaathletics.com
Sunday, February 2, 2020

WILKES-BARRE, Pa. — The Keuka College Men's Volleyball team won a pair of matches at the Wilkes University tri-match on Sunday.

Keuka College (2-4) swept both matches of the day, defeating Bard College and Wilkes University.

Keuka College 3 vs. Bard College 0 – 25-12, 25-15, 25-14

The Green and Gold got off to a near-perfect start on Sunday. Keuka had 13 kills and did not commit an error in the first set. The Wolves followed that up with a 14-kill performance in the second set as Keuka took a 2-0 lead over the Raptors.

Keuka College closed it out in the third. Bard rallied to make it a two-point game at 14-12, but the Wolves reestablished their lead. Keuka would score the final seven points of the match to win the third 25-14, sweeping Bard.

Lead Wolf: Marcus Davic led the Keuka offense with 11 kills against Bard. The senior set a new career-high in kills and posted the third-best hitting percentage in a three-set match in program history.

Keuka College 3 at Wilkes University – 25-19, 25-14, 25-20

Keuka College once again got out to a fast start as the Wolves opened a 7-1 lead over the host Colonels. Solomon Shabazz recorded a solo block to close the first set at 25-19 in favor of the Wolves.

The Wolves continued the trend of fast starts as they took an 11-1 lead to start the second. Keuka continued onto the 25-14 second set victory to take a 2-0 lead in the match.

The third set was closer, but the Wolves led most of the way. Wilkes made a late run, but Brad McKnight got a kill to close the third set at 25-20, sweeping the match.

Lead Wolf: While McKnight led the Wolves with 11 kills, it was Kamren Record who led the Keuka offense. The junior posted a season-high 33 assists to pace the Wolf attack.

KC Notes:

Keuka College improves to 4-1 all-time against Bard and 3-0 against Wilkes College

The Wolves are a perfect 6-0 in their three trips to Wilkes to play in their tri-match

Kamren Record moved to second on the Keuka College career assists list. The junior now has 963 over his three seasons at Keuka

Brad McKnight combined for 17 kills on the day, passing Devin Lesch for ninth on the career list at Keuka

As a team, the Wolves combined for 26 aces in the two matches. Keuka hit 15 aces against Bard, tied for third most in a match in program history

Up Next for Keuka College: 

The Wolves have a week to prepare to open North Eastern Athletic Conference play. Keuka College will play their first home game and first conference game of the year next Saturday as the Wolves host SUNY Poly on Saturday. Keuka will then close the weekend with a match against St. Elizabeth on Sunday.

Marymount Men's Volleyball Splits Two At No. 12 Stevenson, Defeats Nazareth
marymountsaints.com
Saturday, February 1, 2020

OWINGS MILLS, Md. - The Marymount University men's volleyball team split its two road matches on Saturday evening, tackling Nazareth in the opening match before falling in four sets to No. 12 Stevenson.

Match 1: Marymount 3, Nazareth 1

The Saints opened up with a great performance against Nazareth, taking it in four sets, 3-1 (25-16, 18-25, 25-21, 25-19). 

Out of the four sets, the momentum was quickly set with a first set that had 13 kills and no errors for a .765 hitting percentage. Cruising to a 25-16 win in game one, the Saints slipped up in the second set before grabbing two-straight victories in the third and fourth to seal the match up. 

Senior Sam Safley put down the ground work in the match with a match-high 17 kills, while sophomore Raymond Tarasi register his first double-double performance with 14 kills and 11 digs. Senior Joseph Zanelotti dished out 40 assists through the four sets, and sophomore Chris Manganiello dove out for a team-high 12 digs. Sophomore Jason Perkins was a force at the net, notching a match-high four solo blocks to go with a block assist. 

Match 2: Stevenson 3, Marymount 1

The final match for the Saints was against No. 12 Stevenson, the host for the day, pushing the Mustangs to the brink before falling in extra points in the fourth set, 3-1 (23-25, 25-17, 26-24, 30-28)

Marymount put together a strong first set, knocking down 14 kills on a .400 hitting percentage to battle to a 25-23 victory. It was a last push for the Saints with the set all tied up at 23-23 following two-straight points by the Mustangs, but MU answered with back-to-back kills by freshman Hayden Kerekes and Safley to earn the first-set win.

The second set played in favor of Stevenson, working to a 25-17 decision to even out the match, but the final two sets didn't go without a battle. 

In the third, a game of runs had the Saints rally back late with three-straight points to draw it even at 24-24. In the stretch, the Mustangs had an attack error, Safley landed a kill and Kerekes drew it even with a service ace. However, Stevenson responded with the next two points to seal up the game, 26-24. 

The fourth set also went to extra points, as the two teams went neck-and-neck down the stretch of regulation. At 22-22, neither team separated more than a point all the way to final 30-28 decision. The Saints had set point four times in the fourth, but it was the Mustangs that earned the final two points to take the match.

Safley and Tarasi led the attack again with 16 and 10 kills, in that order, while Zanelotti added 39 more assists to his day. Tarasi earned his second double-double with a team-high 10 digs. 

The Saints now enter Continental Volleyball Conference play next week, traveling to No. 7 Juniata College on Friday, February 7. Start time is set for 7 p.m.

Medaille Men's Volleyball Splits the Weekend in Cincinnati
Pauline stays hot with (15) kills on the day
medaillesports.com
Saturday, February 1, 2020

CINCINNATI, OH – The Medaille Men's Volleyball team hit the road for another pair of matches in Ohio this weekend. The Mavs headed to Cincinnati, Ohio in hopes of improving their record following an opening weekend that saw the Mavs earn a win in two out of three contests..

The Mavericks were slated to go against Eastern Mennonite University and Mount St. Joseph University.

The Mavs opened the day with a clean sweep of Eastern Mennonite (3-0) but would ultimately drop the second match of the day to Mount St. Joseph (3-1).

The first two sets against Eastern Mennonite came down to the very end (25-20, 25-22) but the blue and gold would take set three in demanding fashion (25-12).

Chris Pauline Jr. (North Tonawanda, NY, North Tonawanda) continued his tear from the opening weekend, coming away with seven kills for the team-lead. Matt Dickerson (Lockport, NY, Starpoint) followed suit with a solid six kills in the first set with Jake Siwy (West Seneca, NY, West Seneca West) earning (22) assists.

The Mavericks were put to the test in the second match of the day against Mount St. Joseph. The opening set was won by the opposition (25-18). Medaille battled back in the second set with a (25-21) win. However, the Mavs would drop the next two (25-22, 25-25) giving Mount St. Joseph the win.

Pauline again led the Mavs in kills and surpassing his total from the previous match with eight kills. Nick Patterson (Amherst, NY, Amherst Central) came away with six kills with Shawn Barbalato (Williamsville, NY, Williamsville South) and Malachi Jackson (Cheektowaga, NY, Cheektowaga Central) both having five. Siwy added (18) more assists to his total on the day as well.

The Mavs will make the trip back to Buffalo with a (3-2) overall record and will now look to next weekend for a full weekend of action. Medaille will play four games next weekend in Rochester, New York with matchups against the University of California, Santa Cruz and Lasell University on Friday and matches with St. John Fisher College and Johnson and Wales University on Saturday.

Spartans Drop Two at Misericordia Tri-Match
athletics.dyc.edu
Saturday, February 1, 2020

Dallas, PA - The D'Youville men's volleyball team traveled to Misericordia on Saturday as they fell to the Elizabethtown Blue Jays 3-0 and the Misericordia Cougars 3-0.

Elizabethtown had a strong first set in the first match of the day for D'Youville, defeating the Spartans 25-9. The second set saw both teams battle back-and-forth with the set tied at 23-23 late. The Blue Jays would then close the second with a 27-25 victory. In the third, Elizabethtown carried their late momentum from the second as they took the set 25-14 and the match 3-0.

Dan Busha (Hamburg, NY/St. Francis) led the team with eight kills while Mitch Mason (Eden, NY/Eden) recorded a team-high 12 digs. Ali Khadra (Williamsville, NY/Williamsville East) contributed seven kills with Karl Jauch (Lockport, NY/Starpoint) tallying 18 assists. Anthony Dean (Niagara Falls, NY/Niagara Falls) chipped in with four kills as Danny Steck (Lancaster, NY/St. Francis) had two.

Match number two saw the Spartans get out to an early 7-3 lead in the first set. Misericordia would come back to take a 21-17 lead and to win the set 25-17. The Cougars would then come out strong in the second set with a 12-1 lead. They would then carry that strong play to the end to win the second 25-13. After the third set was tied 10-10, Misericordia would pick up the pace and take a 22-14 lead. They would then go on to win the third 25-17 and the match 3-0.

Busha again led the team with eight kills, followed by Joshua Hoy (Grand Island, NY/Grand Island) with five. Jauch tallied 14 assists with Mason recording 11 digs. Khadra had four blocks with William Anderson (Lake View, NY/Frontier) and Juan Centeno (Williamsville, NY/Williamsville North) each seeing their first match as Spartans. Troy Stancampiano (Williamsville, NY/Williamsville East) tallied an assist in the loss while Dean recorded three kills.

The next series of matches for the Spartans will come next weekend as they travel to Nazareth for the Golden Flyer Invite. They will first play Johnson and Wales on Friday at 6:00pm on Friday, February 7 and then play UC Santa Cruz and Lasell on Saturday, February 8.

Arcadia Men's Volleyball Splits Tri-Match versus Nationally-Ranked Duo
arcadiaknights.com
Saturday, February 1, 2020

GLENSIDE, Pa. - The tenth-ranked Arcadia University men's volleyball team split their home tri-match versus #7 Juniata College and #9 Vassar College on Saturday afternoon. The Knights downed Juniata in a thrilling five-set comeback, while the Knights fell to Vassar, 3-1, in this afternoon's finale. 

#10 ARCADIA 3, #7 JUNIATA 2

HOW IT HAPPENED

-The Knights were in control in the early stages of the first set before a four-point swing put the Eagles out in front, 13-11. A Robie Moctezuma kill staked the Knights to a 17-16 lead, but Juniata earned nine of the last eleven points of the set to take the first, 25-19.

-Leading 12-9 in the second set, the Knights ripped off six-consecutive points to take a nine-point lead, powered by kills from Moctezuma and Jarod Pichler along with four Juniata errors. The Eagles battled back to get within two at 22-20, but the Knights drew even in the match behind Austin Braas and Quinn Baily kills to seal the second set, 25-21.

-After the Knights dropped the third set, 25-19, Arcadia staved off defeat and forced a deciding fifth set with a thrilling win in the fourth, 25-21. Arcadia held a one-point lead in the latter stages of the set before Braas and Jason Manley delivered two kills each as the Knights claimed seven of the final 11 points of the fourth.

-Arcadia got off to a quick start in the fifth by taking five of the first six points as Paraskevov - after a huge fourth-set performance - and Anthony Devantier each provided kills. Juniata answered right back with three-straight points to cut the deficit to one before the two sides alternated the next six points. Braas and Devantier came up with two huge kills to stake the Knights to a three-point lead at 10-7, but the Eagles came back to get within one yet again, resulting in a 12-11 Knight lead.

-A Juniata service error and a Paraskevov ace got the Knights to match point at 14-11, and despite two Eagle points to get within one point of drawing even, Manley provided the match-clinching kill to lift Arcadia to the top-ten victory.

KNIGHT LEADERS

-Kills: Manley 16, Braas 9
-Aces: Manley/Pichler/Baily
-Blocks: Moctezuma 6, Manley 3
-Assists: Devantier 44
-Digs: Manley/Pichler 14

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

-Juniata held the edge in kills, 59-52 and aces, 9-4.
-Arcadia led the match in blocks, 12-7, as Moctezuma provided half of the Knights' total.
-The Knights finished the match with a .261 hitting percentage, while the Eagles came in at .183.

#10 ARCADIA 1, #9 VASSAR 3

HOW IT HAPPENED

- The Brewers controlled the opening set with a 25-20 victory. Vassar controlled play early with an 8-3 run to open the match. The Knights would trim their deficit, but trailed the Brewers for the entire first set.

- The score was tightly-contested early in the second set with neither team leading by more than two points. However, Vassar began to distance themselves with a 4-0 run midway through the stanza, 17-13. The Knights cut their deficit within two points, but surrendered three straight points to end the set, 25-20.

- The Knights stayed alive with a dominating third set, 25-12. After surrendering the first point, Arcadia responded with a 11-2 run to take their first lead of the match. After the Brewers finally put an end to the Knights 10-0 run, Arcadia rallied for five unanswered points to take a commanding 16-3 lead.

- Vassar pulled away midway through the fourth set with a 7-1 rally, which gave the squad a 21-13 lead. The Brewers then tallied four of the next six points to defeat the Knights in four sets, 25-15. 

KNIGHT LEADERS

-Kills: Manley 11, Pichler 9
-Blocks: Braas 4
-Assists: Devantier 39
-Digs: Manley 10

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

- Vassar had seven aces, while the Knights failed to record an ace.
- The Brewers held a 52-43 advantage in kills.
- The Knights tallied eight blocks, while Vassar only had three.

UP NEXT

No. 10 Arcadia (4-4) travels to Messiah Wednesday night for its Middle Atlantic Conference opener at 7 p.m.

#15 Wentworth Men's Volleyball Sweeps Regis & Nichols
wentworthathletics.com
Saturday, February 1, 2020

Boston, Mass. - The Wentworth men's volleyball team took care of Regis and Nichols College in straight sets in their first tri-match of the season inside Tansey Gymnasium. Nichols split the day with a 3-0 win over Regis, while the Pride went 0-2 on the afternoon. 

RECORDS

Wentworth 6-1 (1-0 GNAC)
Regis 0-5 (0-1 GNAC)
Nichols 3-2 

Match One – Wentworth 3, Regis 0

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE – STATISTICAL LEADERS

Kills: Drew Potter (9) (.467), Alex McLane (7), Tristan McDonough (6)
Digs: Drew Potter (8), Phoenix Stebbins (7), Tristan McDonough (7)
Assists: Connor Adams (21)
Blocks: Tristan McDonough (4BA), David Marsh (4BA), Colin Stockton (2BA, 1BS)
Aces: Drew Potter (6)

HOW IT HAPPENED

After both teams traded five points apiece, the Leopards broke the 5-5 tie with a 6-1 run led by a kill apiece from freshmen Alex McLane (Columbus, Ohio) and Tristan McDonough (Shelton, Conn.). Regis pulled within three points after a service ace from Marcello Cappuccio, but Wentworth then built a 17-11 lead starting with a block from freshman Colin Stockton (Hummelstown, Pa.) and sophomore Drew Potter (Towson, Md.) which forced a Regis timeout. Regis got one back from a WIT attack error, but the Leopards left no room for error and scored the final seven points, highlighted by back-to-back blocks from David Marsh (Springfield, Mass.) and McDonough.

Wentworth pulled away after the opening 10 points in the middle set with sophomore Drew Hesse (Eden, N.Y.) on the serve. Hesse served two aces and combined with a point apiece from Stockton and Potter, forcing Regis to take a timeout after a Pride attack error. The Leopards built a 16-8 lead after back-to-back aces and a kill from McDonough, who ended the second set with a final kill off the hands of Connor Adams (Budd Lake, N.J.). 

Wentworth hit a blistering .524 in the last set with 12 kills and a single error on 21 swings. The Leopards led from start to finish and gained a double-digit lead midway through after back-to-back kills from freshman Zach Anglen (Carmel, Ind.). A 5-3 run in favor of the hosts secured the conference sweep as a Potter kill, ace, and kill from Hesse ended the match.

THE SERIES

The Leopards are undefeated in the all-time series with the Pride and hold a 14-0 overall record.

Match Two – Wentworth 3, Regis 0

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE – STATISTICAL LEADERS

Kills: Ian Carlson (12-.529), Ryan Love (11-.304), Hunter Oshman (7-.462)
Digs: Ryan Engel (5), Augusto Rodriguez-Guerrios (5), Hunter Oshman (5)
Assists: Augusto Rodriguez-Guerrios (34)
Blocks: Sean Spencer (4BS, 2BA, Ian Carlson (2BS, 2BA), Hunter Oshman (2BA, 1BS)
Aces: Hunter Oshman (3)

HOW IT HAPPENED

Nichols gave Wentworth trouble in the opening two sets, and took an 8-4 lead capped by a service ace from Ryan Wang. The Leopards chipped away at the deficit and dug out of the hole on a 4-0 run in the middle of the set with freshman Hunter Oshman (Pennington, N.J.) on the serve, highlighted by back-to-back aces. A quick two points from Nichols tied the set 14-14, and again at 15-15, before Wentworth brought the gap to two with an ace from Ian Carlson (Parker, Colo.). Nichols would later close the gap with a 3-1 run and a kill by Lance Law, as the scored read 19-19 forcing a Wentworth timeout. Senior Ryan Engel (Floral Park, N.Y.) started a 3-0 spurt for Wentworth, ending on a block from Oshman and Carlson, for the 22-19 lead, before the Leopards scored the final three of five points to seal the first set by a narrow 25-22 score.

Roles reversed in the middle set, as Love finished a pass from Augusto Rodriguez-Guerrios (San Juan, Puerto Rico) for an 8-4 advantage. Nichols responded with a 7-4 run, pulling with a single point at 12-11, and ultimately tied the match 19-19 after a kill from Wang, forcing a Wentworth timeout. The Leopards drew first blood out of the break with a kill from Engel, and a solo block from Ian Carlson brought the lead up to two, 22-20. Nichols continued to knock on the back door, and responded with two points of their own, tying the set again at 22-22 and 23-23. A service error from Nichols gave Wentworth match-point opportunity, as junior Sean Spencer (Rancho Santa Margarita, California) solo blocked the over-pass and gave WIT a 2-0 match lead.

Wentworth settled in in the third set and hit .500 with 16 kills and three errors on 26 swings. The Leopards pulled away in the middle of the set with Engel on the serve, who used an ace and two kills from Love to lead 18-11. Wentworth closed the second match of the day on a 6-1 run for the 25-13 final.

THE SERIES

This was the first meeting between the two teams, as Nichols is in its second year as a varsity program.

SJF Men's Volleyball Downs Daemen to continue Hot Streak
athletics.sjfc.edu
Saturday, February 1, 2020

AMHERST, N.Y. – The St. John Fisher College men's volleyball team beat Division II-Daemen College at the Wildcats' Lumsden Gymnasium Saturday afternoon. It marks Fisher's eighth-straight victory as it record improves to 8-1 on the year while Daemen falls to 2-4.

Josh Bigford was the top offensive threat in the match once again as the sophomore racked up a game-high 17 kills for the Cardinals. Paul Hackford posted a season-high 45 assists while Martin Hackford had another solid day with 10 kills and a game-high five aces.

Fisher got off to a sluggish start to begin the match but found its stride on a 7-2 run to cut the lead to 11-9. Three-straight aces from Martin Hackford made it a one-point game at 19-18. Paul Hackford set up Bigford for a kill to tie the set at 24-all, however, the Wildcats scored the next two points to grab the opening set.

The Cardinals were in control for most of the second stanza as they reeled off four points in a row to go up 12-8. Daemen momentarily took the advantage at 23-22, but a combination of Martin Hackford and Bigford earning kills swung the momentum in Fisher's favor. Ivan Lopez had a monster solo block to win the set and settle the match at one set a piece.

After dropping the opening point of the third set, the Cardinals soared back into the lead and retained it the rest of the way. Five-straight points put Fisher in the driver's seat up 14-8 and then Eric Bentivegna hammered one home for the set point.

The Wildcats took an 8-6 edge in the fourth frame but the Fisher turned it around to snatch the advantage and would never give up it as four separate 3-0 runs gave Fisher a commanding lead. The Hackford brothers worked together with Paul setting up Martin for the match-winning point.

As a team, the Cardinals hit .290 for the match while recording a .423 hitting percentage in the second set. Fisher had 10 aces to Daemen's three. Matt Beiter earned the first double-double of the freshman's career with 10 kills and a career-high 10 digs. David Cerqua produced a game-high 16 digs. The Cardinals are currently on their second-longest winning streak in program history with the longest coming in 2019 with 12 in a row.

Fisher now prepares to host the Fisher Invite next weekend. The first match for the Cardinals will be a United Volleyball Conference matchup with Bard College on Friday at 6 p.m.

Red Flash Falls to Ball State, 3-0
Mike McNabb, sfuathletics.com
Saturday, February 1, 2020

Loretto, Pa. – The Saint Francis men's volleyball team (2-6) was swept by Ball State (5-3) on Saturday night at DeGol Arena.

Set One
· The teams exchanged long rallies to begin the match.
· No lead for either team was more than two until Ball State scored three unanswered points to go up, 12-9.
· The Cardinals slowly added to their lead, eventually getting it up to seven.
· Ball State maintained a 5-7 point lead for the rest of the set, winning by seven.
· Michael Fisher (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley) led the Red Flash with five kills, while Cole Carver (Hershey, PA/Hershey) added two.
· Roman Szwabinsky (Columbus, Ohio/Westerville South) registered eight assists.
· Final Score: Ball State 25, SFU 18

Set Two
· The Red Flash jumped out to an early 3-1 lead.
· Ball State then answered with a 7-3 run to regain the advantage.
· The teams traded blows as the set stayed close.
· The Cardinals held the lead around six starting at 20-14, and they eventually went on to win by seven.
· Michael Fisher (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley) had six kills and a dig in the frame.
· Blake Liprando (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley HS) and Brandon Dunz (Lake View, NY/Frontier Senior High School) each added two kills.
· Szwabinsky had 10 assists and three digs.
· Final Score: Ball State 25, SFU 18

Set Three
· Ball State looked to close out the Red Flash in three and began the set leading 10-5.
· Slowly, the Cardinals added to their lead, reaching 15-8 then maintaining the lead at 6-7.
· The Red Flash used a last ditch effort to cut the Cardinals lead down to three at 21-18, but SFU could not get any closer as Ball State closed the set out by five and completed the sweep.
· Brandon Dunz (Lake View, NY/Frontier Senior High School) registered two block assists in the set.
· Fisher added three kills and Szwabinsky added nine assists.
· Final Score: Ball State 25, SFU 20

Box Score Notes

· Michael Fisher (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley) led the match with 14 kills.
· Roman Szwabinsky (Columbus, Ohio/Westerville South) led SFU with 27 assists.
· Brandon Dunz (Lake View, NY/Frontier Senior High School) led the Red Flash with two block assists.
· Ball State out-killed SFU, 44-31.
· SFU had two blocks compared to five from BSU.
· The Cardinals had 44 assists and the Red Flash had 29.
· Ball State had just seven errors. SFU had 15.

Up next for the Red Flash is another home contest, hosting St. Francis Brooklyn on Saturday night (2/8) at 7 pm.

Barton Stuns Loyola In Three Sets To End Road Trip
Kyle Piekarski posted a career-high 13 kills in the loss
loyolaramblers.com
Saturday, February 1, 2020

In Short

The Loyola University Chicago men's volleyball team suffered a tough 3-0 loss to Barton tonight at the Recreation Athletic Complex in Fairfax, Va. The Ramblers move to 3-7 this season and will begin MIVA play next weekend. Despite the loss, Kyle Piekarski posted a career-high 13 kills.

How It Happened

Barton maintained the lead in nearly the entire first set, taking an 7-3 head start. The Bulldogs forced a Loyola timeout after picking up the momentum, 9-4. A big block from Luke Denton and Anton Frank helped diminish the five-point lead to four, but Barton went on a 3-0 run to seel the deal. Loyola was unable to come back from Barton's 15-8 lead, and they ended up taking the set, 25-15.

Loyola fired back in the second with back-to-back kills from Piekarski and an ace from Denton. Another kill from Cole Schlothauer put the Ramblers up 7-3. The Ramblers improved immensely, claiming their largest lead of the entire match, 18-10. Loyola hung on even when Barton went on consecutive 3-0 runs to close the gap, 18-13 and then 21-17. The Bulldogs made a comeback and sent the match into overtime, where it tied numerous times. Denton locked in a kill with a 31-31 tie, but the Bulldogs took the set, 33-31.

The third set was almost a mirror image of the second, as Loyola went on a 3-0 run to take a 9-5 lead on kills from Schlothauer and Frank. Despite maintaining a lead most of the third set, Barton came back to tie it 12-12. Piekarski's back-to-back kills helped the Ramblers take a 16-14 lead, but the match was forced into overtime again as the Bulldogs fought back. Barton won the set, 35-33.

A Look At The Numbers

- Piekarski recorded a career-high 13 kills and a season-high five blocks.
- Taylan Cook tallied a career-high six digs.
- Cowen posted 40 assists.
- Schlothauer notched double-digit kills (13) for the ninth time this season.

Up Next

The Ramblers begin MIVA play next Saturday, Feb. 8, hosting Purdue Fort Wayne at 7 p.m.

Wildcats Split Matches To Close Home Event
Daemen Falls To St. John Fisher, Bests Alderson Broaddus
By Mike Miranto, Sr. Associate A.D. for External Operations & Communications, daemenwildcats.com
Saturday, February 1, 2020

AMHERST, N.Y. - The Daemen College men's volleyball team earned a split of two home matches today, falling 3-1 to St. John Fisher (24-26, 28-26, 25-20, 25-18) before defeating Alderson Broaddus University in straight sets (25-6, 25-13, 25-15). Today's matches were played as part of the Daemen quint-match, an event that featured five total contests played at Lumsden Gymnasium this weekend. 

Following today's results, the Wildcats' record moves to 3-4 this season. They've won three of their last four matches. The Wildcats are in the midst of just the second season in program history. 

St. John Fisher extended their winning streak to eight-straight matches, improving to 8-1 on the season. The Cardinals are receiving votes in the NVA/AVCA Division III national poll. 

In today's other action, Wittenberg (3-8) shook off an eight-match losing streak with a 3-0 win over the Alderson Broaddus Battlers. ABU, a Division II affiliate like Daemen, dropped to 0-4 this season with their setbacks today. 

TOP PERFORMERS VS. ST. JOHN FISHER

Graduate student Zach Yerington (Hamburg, N.Y.) and freshman Zach Schneider (Lockport, N.Y.) accounted for 28 of Daemen's 44 kills. Yerington powered down a season-high 16, giving him at least 10 kills in three of his last four matches. He hit a team-best .419 in the match. Schneider reached double figures for the fourth-straight match with a dozen kills. 

Sophomore setter Michael Krueger (Canonsburg, N.Y.) tallied 35 assists, and freshman outside hitter Ryan Parker (Fairport, N.Y.) contributed a career-best 15 digs.

Josh Bigford, one of the top offensive players in all of Division III men's volleyball, paced a trio of big hitters for the Cardinals. Bigford finished with a match-high 17 kills and attacked a .395 clip.

Martin Hackford (10 kills) and Matt Beiter (10 kills, 10 digs) also reached double figures for SJFC, and the Cardinals also got a match-high 45 assists from Paul Hackford.

HOW IT HAPPENED VS. ST. JOHN FISHER

St. John Fisher never led in the opening set as the Wildcats jumped out to a 9-2 lead, and then held off the Cardinals. SJFC evened the set at 23-23 and again at 24-24, the second of which coming on a kill by Bigford. Daemen responded with back-to-back kills by Schneider to shut the door.

Daemen fell behind 12-8 in the second, but rallied to score seven of the next 10 points to pull even at 15-15. The Wildcats later forged ahead 22-21 following a pair of SJFC errors, but couldn't close the set as the Cardinals rallied for the 28-26 win. The Cardinals posted 15 kills and a .423 hitting percentage in the set.

Daemen scored the first point of the third set, but never led the rest of the way. A 5-0 spurt that featured kills by David Cerqua and Ivan Lopez, as well as a Bigford service ace, put the Cardinals in charge at 14-8. Daemen would cut the deficit in half, pulling within 22-19, but could get no closer. SJFC's Eric Bentivenga got the final point on a kill, putting the Cardinals ahead 2-1 in the match.

The fourth set was back and forth at the outset with six lead changes over the first 24 points. A 7-2 run by the Cardinals put them ahead 17-13. Beiter notched a kill and service ace on back-to-back points in the run. The lead reached 23-16 following back-to-back kills by Bigford, and Hackford's kill on set and match point ended things.

Daemen hit just .176 for the match, its lowest since January 14 vs. national power Pepperdine (.153). 

The Cardinals posted a .290 hitting percentage, and had 53 kills in the match compared to Daemen's 44. 

TOP PERFORMERS VS. ALDERSON BROADDUS

Freshman Matthew Garry (Depew, N.Y.) recorded a season-high 10 kills to pace a balanced offensive effort for Daemen. Garry was nearly unstoppable as he needed just 11 attempts to reach double-figure kills, attacking at an .818 clip in the match. 

Freshman Parker Wade (Portland, Ore.) also went for a season-high nine kills, while Brandon Casterline (North Tonawanda, N.Y.) and Jake Couzens (Hamburg, N.Y.) added seven and six kills, respectively.

Freshman Gavin Musielak (Eden, N.Y.) handled the setting duties and totaled a season-high 36 assists.

Six Daemen players recorded at least four digs, led by sophomore Kyle Kon (Oswego, N.Y.) who totaled five.

Eran Shifris recorded four of ABU's nine kills in the match.

HOW IT HAPPENED VS. ALDERSON BROADDUS

Daemen finished with 43 kills and just four hitting errors on 57 attempts. The team's .684 hitting percentage is the best in the brief history of the program. The previous record was a .333 hitting percentage in Daemen's 3-0 win over Lasell College last March. 

ABU was limited to an -.074 hitting percentage which also represents a new Daemen record. It's the second time Daemen has held an opponent to a negative hitting percentage this season, also doing so last weekend in a 3-0 win over D'Youville College (-.013). 

NEXT SERVE

Daemen will load the bus for its longest road trip of the season thus far, traveling to the Midwest for matches next weekend against Ball State University (Feb. 8), Urbana University (Feb. 9) and Lincoln Memorial University (Feb. 9). Friday's match is a true road contest at Ball State while both of Saturday's contests will be played at Urbana.

No. 7 PSU Men's Volleyball Drops Straight Sets To Ohio State
gopsusports.com
Saturday, February 1, 2020

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The No. 7 Penn State men's volleyball team took its second-straight loss Saturday evening in a 3-0 defeat (25-22, 25-22, 26-24) to Ohio State at Rec Hall.

The Nittany Lions (4-4) had another tough go offensively with .267 team hitting percentage while Ohio State (8-1) hit .427 for the match.

PSU was led by Brett Wildman with 13 kills at a .323 clip (13-3-31) and three service aces. Ohio State's Reese Devilbiss led all scorers with 18.5 points after posting 15 kills hitting .560 (15-1-25) and four blocks.

HOW IT HAPPENED

The Nittany Lions didn't have their best offensive frame in the first set that put them into a hole. PSU had to take timeouts trailing 15-12 and 20-15 in the set. PSU managed to pull within as close as two at 24-22, but the Buckeyes took the next point to win the set by three.

Penn State had a .231 hitting percentage with six hitting errors compared to Ohio State's .444 team hitting percentage in the first set.

Ohio State continued their momentum into the second set by speeding out to a 9-4 advantage and forcing another Penn State timeout.

Penn State pulled back within two points on Bobby Wilden's serve with Brett Wildman recording two kills in the four-point run to make it 15-13, but the Buckeyes never let Penn State get closer than two for the rest of the game, taking the set by an identical 25-22 score.

The third game was tight throughout with 13 tied scores. Ohio State looked to be running away with the third game when it scored three points in a row to take a 17-14 lead, including an ace from Reese Devilbiss.

The Nittany Lions wouldn't back down, however, as they managed a four point spurt on Calvin Mende's service rally, which included an ace, to tie the score 20-20.

The Buckeyes managed to score three of the next four of the next six points to set up match point, but Penn State had a three-point run that included kills from Wildman and Donorovich to fend off three-straight match points.

Ohio State countered with the next two points after PSU tied it 24-24 to take the match, finished with a kill by Devilbiss.

HEAR IT FROM THEM

Head Coach Mark Pavlik

It's a weekend where we were very inconsistent in just about every aspect of our game, from serving and passing to attacking. When we played well, we played well. I liked our compete level today better than I liked it yesterday. I just thought we kept coming back. Certainly game three showed that, but in opportune moments, we broke down with things that we normally do really well. We had a couple of hitting errors in situations where we controlled their swaying or got a free ball and didn't convert on those easy opportunities."

Sophomore Brett Wildman

"I think the word from this weekend that we need to take away is 'consistency.' Our best volleyball was when they didn't know what to do with what we were putting out there. We would kind of put ourselves in tough situations and then play hard, good volleyball and get back into the game. We would fall back onto those inconsistent patterns, so the word [to learn] is just 'consistent' from this weekend."

MIKE ANDERSON MAN OF THE MATCH

Brett Wildman's 16.0 effort made him Penn State's selection for the Mike Anderson Man of the Match. He now has six-straight matches with double-digit kills and has reached at least nine kills in all eight matches this season.

GAME NOTES

Calvin Mende was Penn State's next best offensive contributor with 10 kills, marking the fifth match this season the redshirt senior has reached double digits.

Jason Donorovich was a force in the second and third sets with seven of his eight kills coming in those two games. He hit .500 (8-2-12) to lead the Nittany Lions for the match.

Bobby Wilden pitched in eight kills hitting .400 (8-2-12). He has at least eight kills in five of his last six starts. He also led the Nittany Lions with nine digs.

NEXT UP

The Nittany Lions head to Columbus for two neutral site matches against opponents from the Big West. PSU takes on Long Beach State Friday, Feb. 7 before playing UC Santa Barbara Saturday, Feb. 8.

Harvard Men’s Volleyball Hands Sacred Heart Its First Loss of the Season
gocrimson.com
Friday, January 31, 2020

FAIRFIELD, Conn. – In its first EIVA contest of the season, the Harvard men's volleyball team took down the Sacred Heart Pioneers to move 4-2 (1-0 EIVA) on the season.

It was a hard-fought match with the Crimson winning the first set 28-26 before dropping the second set. Harvard went on to take the third and fourth sets by scores of 25-23 and 25-18, respectively.

Offensively, sophomores Campbell Schoenfeld and Eric Li led the Crimson in kills with 16 and 15 kills, respectively. First-year Ethan McCrary posted a .364 hitting percentage with four kills on 11 attacks. Senior captain Matthew Ctvrtlik once again led the Crimson in assists with 46.

At the service line, Ctvrtlik tallied a career-high four aces, while junior Adam Gordon had two and first-year Ethan Smith recorded one.

Defensively, senior captain Chase Howard totaled 18 digs to lead the team. Smith totaled a career-high eight block assists and McCrary recorded three total blocks, two solo and one block assist.

Harvard Highlights

McCrary has posted a hitting percentage above .300 in the last four matches and has only one recorded error in the last three.

Li totaled a career-high in digs with 11.

Harvard now holds a 4-2 record, the best start to the season since 2013.

Up Next

The Crimson will have its home opener on Sunday, Feb. 2 in the first ever matchup against St. Francis Brooklyn. The match is set to start at 4 p.m. and will be broadcast on ESPN+.

SJF Men's Volleyball Dispatches Wittenberg for Seventh-Straight Win
athletics.sjfc.edu
Friday, January 31, 2020

PITTSFORD, N.Y. – The St. John Fisher College men's volleyball team took down Wittenberg University in four sets (25-16, 25-14, 24-26, 25-19) on Friday night at Daemen College's Lumsden Gymnasium. The win is the Cardinals' seventh-straight as their record improves to 7-1, meanwhile, the Tigers drop to 2-7 on the year.

Fisher had two players finish with double-digit kills with Josh Bigford leading the way with a game-high 16 and Martin Hackford contributing 12 kills. Bigford has posted double-digit kills in all six matches the sophomore has appeared in while Hackford had his third-straight match with double-digit kills.

Dylan Urbanski earned a game-high 31 assists while David Cerqua recorded a game-high 17 digs. In the three sets the Cardinals won, they never trailed the entire set.

Bigford started the match on a good note with an opening point ace. With the score 3-2 in favor of Fisher, the Cardinals would burst ahead with an 8-0 run. From there, Fisher kept Wittenberg from gaining an edge as it nabbed the first set.

The Cardinals jump started the second set with three-straight points to kick things off. Fisher continued to lead later into the frame with a 6-0 run to make it 20-11 Fisher. A Bigford kill set up by Urbanski put the score at 23-14 and the Cardinals would win the following two points to go up two-sets-to-none.

After the Tigers took an early edge in the third, Fisher would grab back the lead thanks to three-straight aces from Matt Beiter. Later, a Beiter kill put the Cardinals in front, 21-19. However, Wittenberg turned things around with winning six of the next eight points to go up 24-22 and earn set point. Fisher fought back to knot things up at 24 a piece but the Tigers would respond with two points in a row to extend the match.

Off dropping a set, the Cardinals took back control by earning an 8-3 advantage to start the fourth. Fisher kept a distant lead on the Wittenberg as it made it match point on Bigford's 16th kill of the night. The Cardinals won the match two points later.

Hackford posted a game-high four aces and Ivan Lopez had three blocks at the net for Fisher.

Fisher next plays on Saturday at 12 p.m. against Daemen on the Wildcats' court.

Cougars Swept by Top-Ranked SUNY New Paltz
keanathletics.com
Friday, January 31, 2020

NEW PALTZ, N.Y. (1/31/20) – Jonathan Meyer totaled eight kills and three digs as the Kean University men's volleyball team was swept in straight sets by top ranked SUNY New Paltz, 3-0 on Friday evening.

Aaron Carrk finished with 15 kills and a .700 hitting percentage for the No. 1 Hawks who remain unbeaten at 6-0 overall. Zach Noll totaled 16 assists for the Cougars who fall to 1-5 overall.

New Paltz hit .400 for the match, while Kean posted a .139 hitting percentage. The Hawks hit north of .330 across all three sets, including a .464 percentage in the final set.

The Cougars best play came in the final set with a .240 hitting percentage in a two-point loss.

Kean opened with a 6-4 lead on a Jared Ray kill, before New Paltz countered with a 7-2 run to take an 11-8 advantage. The Cougars climbed back with a Zach Gerken kill and back-to-back Riley Dolan attack errors to even the set at 13-13. After trading points, Kean pulled even with another Gerken kill and a solo block by Seth Russell. New Paltz closed out the set on a 3-1 run, including three kills by Carrk.

Ray totaled six kills and three digs, while David Jones posted five kills and two digs. Gerken added another three, while handing out eight assists. Andrew Lukasiuk collected six digs in the loss.

Head Coach Charlie Ginex and the Cougars will return to action in Lancaster, Pa. on Tuesday, Feb. 4th, against the Chargers of Lancaster Bible College at 6:00 p.m.

Loyola Falls To No. 12 George Mason, 3-0
loyolaramblers.com
Friday, January 31, 2020

In Short

The Loyola University Chicago men's volleyball team fell short to George Mason, 3-0 tonight in Fairfax, Va. Virginia native Cole Schlothauer tallied double-digit kills for the eighth time this season, leading the Ramblers with 10. Kyle Piekarski hit a team-high .364 attack percentage, registering six kills.

How It Happened

Loyola had a bit of a rough start in the first set, allowing George Mason to go on a 12-2 run. Following two Loyola timeouts, the Ramblers made their way to a slight 15-7 comeback with a Luke Denton and Anton Frank block and an eventual 3-0 scoring run. Ultimately, Loyola produced a negative hitting percentage despite recording 28 attacks. George Mason won the set, 25-15.

Seeing improvement in set two, Schlothauer launched a couple kills to help the Ramblers redeem themselves for an early 3-2 lead. The teams exchanged back and forth points before George Mason pulled ahead, 8-5 and forced a Loyola timeout. Denton and Frank came up with another well-timed block to come closer, 9-8. Devin Joslyn then tallied back-to-back kills followed by a huge block from Ian Cowen, Joslyn and Piekarski to take a 13-12 lead. Despite the Ramblers hitting a much improved .242 percent, George Mason was able to pull away in the final points. Piekarski recorded a huge solo block to close the deficit, 22-19, but Mason took set two, 25-20.

George Mason went on a 4-0 run to lead 12-7 in the third set, forcing another Loyola timeout. The Ramblers put pressure on George Mason with kills from Schlothauer, Frank and Piekarski, but GMU held their lead, 18-12. Loyola couldn't come back strong enough and the Patriots took set three, 25-19.

A Look At The Numbers

Schlothauer tallied double-digit kills for the eighth time this season, leading the Ramblers with 10.

Piekarski hit a team-high .364 hitting percentage, registering six kills.

Frank and Piekarski each recorded three blocks.

Denton led the Ramblers in passing with five digs.

Ian Cowen posted 22 assists and the lone ace for the Ramblers.

Up Next

Loyola stays in Fairfax, Va. for another day, competing against Barton at GMU tomorrow at 4 p.m. as part of the Uvaldo Acosta Invitational.

Schneider Leads Wildcats Over Wittenberg
Freshman Outside Hitter Powers Down 14 Kills
By Mike Miranto, Sr. Associate A.D. for External Operations & Communications, daemenwildcats.com
Friday, January 31, 2020

AMHERST, N.Y. - Freshman outside hitter Zach Schneider (Lockport N.Y.) continued his solid rookie season, leading the Daemen College men's volleyball team to a 3-1 win (25-23, 23-25, 25-14, 25-18) over visiting Wittenberg University tonight at Lumsden Gymnasium. The match was the second of five to be played at Lumsden Gymnasium this weekend. Wittenberg fell in four sets (25-16, 25-14, 24-26, 25-19) to fellow NCAA Division III member St. John Fisher College in today's opening match.

Daemen has now won two-straight matches, improving to 2-3 on the season. The Wildcats defeated crosstown rival D'Youville College (3-0) last Sunday, shaking off the sting of losses to Division I powers UCLA, Pepperdine University and Harvard University to start just the season season in program history.

Wittenberg dropped to 2-8 on the season following their two losses tonight.

TOP PERFORMERS

Schneider led the way with a season-high 14 kills to go with nine digs, narrowly missing a third-straight double-double. The Lockport High School product attacked at a .520 clip in the match, and added a pair of service aces to his stat line.

Graduate student Zach Yerington (Hamburg, N.Y.) and sophomore setter Michael Krueger (Canansburg, Pa.) both returned to lineup after missing Sunday's match at D'Youville. Yerington totaled eight kills and Krueger posted 29 assists.

Middle hitters Henry Moffitt (Sydney, Australia) and Jahari Winkfield (Oswego, Ill.) came off the bench to provide a spark. The duo combined for eight kills on 12 swings over, all over the final two sets, and provided solid defense at the net.

Collin Buelow (13 kills) and Jackson Tyler (10 kills) paced the Wittenberg offense with setter Noah Wissel racking up a match-high 35 assists.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Daemen jumped out to an early 5-1 lead in the opening set, but an undaunted Wittenberg squad roared back to take a 13-11 lead. Following a Daemen timeout, the Wildcats responded with four-straight points, including kills by Schneider and fellow freshman Jake Couzens (Hamburg, N.Y.). The teams went back and forth from there, and Wittenberg eventually evened the count at 22-22. Couzens and Schneider again came up big for Daemen, scoring back-to-back kills to put Daemen within a point of closing the set. After a bad Daemen set gave a point to the Tigers, Schneider came back and ended the set with a kill.

Wittenberg was able to even the match thanks to 18 kills and a .538 hitting percentage in the second set. Daemen's only lead in the set came early at 4-3, but the Wildcats made the Tigers breathe heavy late. Wittenberg led 24-20 following a kill by James Trowbridge, but Daemen got back in it with three-straight points (one kill, two service aces) courtesy of Jesse Donorovich (Lockport, N.Y.). The tying point never came however as Tyler powered down a kill to end the set for Wittenberg.

The emergence of Moffitt and Winkfield paid dividends for Daemen over the final two sets. Wittenberg, which had totaled 28 kills in the first two sets, was held to just 12 and a -.130 hitting percentage over the remainder of the match. 

Daemen jumped out to 10-5 lead in the third and never looked back. The Wildcats put down 10 kills on a .500 hitting percentage, and were aided by 11 Wittenberg hitting errors in the set.

The fourth set started out as a back-and-forth affair until Daemen embarked on a 7-2 run, turning a 10-10 tie into a 17-12 advantage. Wittenberg committed five hitting errors in the run, and Daemen got kills from Yerington and Ryan Parker (Fairport, N.Y.) as well. The Tigers pulled within 19-16, but Daemen scored six of the next eight points to close the set and the match. Moffitt notched a pair of late kills, and Schneider ended things with an ace.

The teams finished close in kills overall (Daemen 41, Wittenberg 40), but the Wildcats were the far more efficient team. Daemen hit .277 in the match, compared to just .143 for the Tigers. Wittenberg committed 25 hitting errors and 22 service errors.

NEXT SERVE

The Daemen quint-match concludes tomorrow with a trio of matches at Lumsden Gymnasium. The Wildcats face 7-1 St. John Fisher to start the day (12 p.m.), followed by Wittenberg battling Alderson Broaddus University at 2 p.m. The event's capper features Daemen taking on Alderson Broaddus at 4 p.m.

No. 7 PSU Men's Volleyball Downed in Straight Sets By Ball State
gopsusports.com
Friday, January 31, 2020

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The No. 7 Penn State men's volleyball team dropped its first home match of the season to Ball State 3-0 (30-28, 25-19, 25-20) Friday evening at Rec Hall's South Gym.

The loss was the Nittany Lions' first setback after a four-match winning streak (4-3). Penn State was marred by 25 attacking errors, which bumped their team hitting percentage down to .147 (39-25-95) for the match.

Ball State (4-3) also had 8.5 team blocks and hit .273 (36-12-88) to counter Penn State.

The Nittany Lions top scorer was Brett Wildman with 10.0 points on 10 kills at .240 clip (10-4-25). BSU's Kaleb Jenness led all players with 11 kills and hit .259 (11-4-27).

HOW IT HAPPENED

The Nittany Lions outhit the Cardinals .270-.205 in set one, but BSU made a furious four-point rally when trailing 23-20 to flip the script and set up an early game point.

Penn State fended off the initial chance for Ball State to win the set, but both teams went back-and-forth trading points until a Nittany Lion service error followed by an ace from Jake Romano won the extended set for the Cardinals 30-28.

Ball State found another surge midway through the second set to take a 13-9 lead and force a Penn State timeout. The Nittany Lions struggled offensively in the second with an .071 hitting percentage (11-9-28), much in part to a stout effort by the Cardinals at the net with 5.5 team blocks for the set.

The Nittany Lions led 10-9 in the third set after a Jason Donorovich kill, but Ball State mustered yet another good sequence winning five of the next six points to lead 14-11, an advantage BSU would never let go.

Ball State only had one hitting error in the third game on its way to a .389 hitting percentage (8-1-18) while the Nittany Lions had 10 costly errors that brought their game total to 25.

HEAR IT FROM THEM

Head Coach Mark Pavlik

I thought that the Cardinals ended up being happy that they won game one and I think that we might have overreacted to losing game one in the manner that we did. 23-21, over, pass, over, pass, then ace and then all of a sudden I thought we were reeling maybe for the first time this year. I thought we reacted in a manner that surprised me with "Oh my goodness we're behind! What happened? What are we going to do?" instead of just doing what we've done all year long and that is just forget that and play the next point."
Hats off to Ball State. I thought that they did what they do really well, they hammer the ball into the top of your block and they'll get some kills out of it. We out-dug them by 10, but we weren't able to finish it with our transition game. I thought we left points on the table certainly in game one and game two and three we had opportunities to score and we couldn't just turn those points for us…Now we wash it off and we get ready for the Buckeyes tomorrow."

Senior Jason Donorovich

"We're all super frustrated because we know what our potential is, we know what our abilities are in every aspect of volleyball and it just didn't really show tonight and I don't want to say that Ball State got lucky, but what you just saw out there from us is not what I have seen ever. I really don't think I've ever been a part of a team that's given an opponent that many points and things just weren't really clicking for us."

GAME NOTES

Penn State's team hitting percentage of .147 (39-25-95) was its lowest output of the season.

With his 10 kills, Brett Wildman extended his double-digit kill match streak to five.

PSU out-dug Ball State 33-23, led by Calvin Mende with eight digs.

Donorovich had two of Penn State three service aces for the match. He also added seven kills and two blocks.

NEXT UP

Penn State takes on nonconference rival Ohio State Saturday evening at Rec Hall beginning at 7 p.m.

Marymount Men's volleyball falls to Loras, 3-1
marymountsaints.com
Wednesday, January 29, 2020

ARLINGTON, Va. – The Marymount University men's volleyball team dropped a mid-week contest to Loras College, 3-1, on Wednesday evening at the Converse Family Fieldhouse.

The Saints opened the match with a 10-6 lead, led by kills from senior Sam Safley and sophomore Raymond Tarasi. Tarasi added a service ace, as well.

In a hard-fought set, the Duhawks came back to take a 15-14 lead, and the teams went back-and-forth through the remainder of the first frame.

A kill from sophomore Jason Perkins gave Marymount a 24-22 lead, but four-straight points by Loras put the Saints in a 1-0 hole.

In another tightly-contest set, the Duhawks jumped out to a 7-4 lead in the second. Two kills from Tarasi, and another from Safley, helped bring the Saints back for a 10-9 edge.

Neither team was able to take more than a two-point lead the rest of the way, but, this time, the Saints came up with the late rally. Trailing 22-21, a 4-1 closing run, capped by a kill from sophomore Ervin Harrell tied the match, 1-1.

The Duhawks held a slight lead to open the third set, 8-6, before a 10-1 run in Loras' favor opened up their advantage.

The Saints responded with two kills by Safley, sandwiching a kill by freshman Hayden Kerekes, but the Duhawks remained in control for a 25-16 win.

The final set saw the teams in another close battle, as a kill from sophomore Miles Olson and service ace from freshman Michael Collins gave the Saints a 7-5 lead.

The Duhawks came back to take the lead, 10-9, but, again, neither team was able to pull away.

A kill from Tarasi helped the Saints take a late, 19-16, edge, but the Duhawks found another late run, 9-3, to take the match.

Safley led the Saints with 15 kills, while Tarasi added 11. Senior Joseph Zanelotti dished out 34 assists, while sophomore Chris Manganiello paced the defense with 10 digs.

The Saints will be back in action on Saturday, February 1 in the Stevenson Invitational, beginning the day against Nazareth College; the match is set for 2 p.m.

Wolves Downed at Elmira in Volleyball
keukaathletics.com
Wednesday, January 29, 2020

ELMIRA, N.Y. — The Keuka College Men's Volleyball team was swept on Wednesday night in a non-conference match at Elmira College.

Keuka College (0-4) was led by Brad McKnight with 10 kills. The sophomore also added two aces and six digs. Kamren Record finished with 25 assists and Seth Welker added a team-high seven digs for the Wolves.

Elmria College 3 vs. Keuka College 0 – 25-18, 25-22, 25-22

The Wolves held the lead early against the Soaring Eagles. Elmira used five straight to take the lead. Keuka responded. A block by Solomon Shabazz and Marcus Davic cut the deficit to one at 17-18. However, Elmira rattled off seven of the next eight points to take the first set 25-18.

Once again, Keuka led early, but a five point run by the Soaring Eagles switched the advantage to the home team. The Wolves rallied, much like the first. Keuka regained the lead at 18-17 and extended it to 21-18 following a McKnight kill. However, the second followed the same script as the first. Elmira closed the set scoring seven out of eight points to win the second 25-22 and take a 2-0 lead in the match.

The Soaring Eagles took the lead early, but the Wolves rallied to tie the match at 9-9 and extended a lead to 13-11. It would be a tight third set with multiple ties. Elmira regained the lead, but Keuka leveled the third at 17-17 on a block by Shabazz and Kamren Record. Three straight by the Soaring Eagles flipped the momentum to the hosts. The teams would trade points down the end, but it would be Elmira who pulled out the 25-22 third set victory, sweeping the match.

KC Notes:

The Wolves fall to 1-4 all-time against the Soaring Eagles

As a team, Keuka had seven blocks in the match. Marcus Davic posted four block assists while Emmett O'Brien and Soloman Shabazz had three

Gavin Record was second on the team with nine kills in the match. The junior posted a .333 hitting percentage, a team-high, as he only hit one error in his 24 total attempts

Up Next for Keuka College: The Wolves remain on the road this Sunday. Keuka College will play in a tri-match at Wilkes University in Pennsylvania. The Wolves will open with Bard University and then face the host Colonels.

No. 10 Arcadia Men's Volleyball Holds Off Lancaster Bible in Tightly-Contested Regional Battle
arcadiaknights.com
Tuesday, January 28, 2020

LANCASTER, Pa. - The tenth-ranked Arcadia University men's volleyball team outlasted previously unbeaten Lancaster Bible on the road Tuesday night, 3-1, in a tightly-contested matchup in which all four sets were decided by three points or less. The Chargers (5-1) - who received votes in the latest American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) poll - had only dropped four total sets in their first five matches entering Tuesday night's contest.

Austin Braas led the Knights with a team-high 17 kills and added five blocks, while Jarod Pichler posted 13 kills and Anothony Devantier recorded a match-high 53 assists.

HOW IT HAPPENED

-Tied five-all in the opening set, the Knights embarked on a 4-0 run fueled by a pair of Jason Manley service aces to take the lead that they would hold through the end of the first. The Chargers battled back to get wthin two points in the latter stages of the set with the score 22-20 in Arcadia's favor, but the Knights - powered by a pair of Pichler kills, including the set-clincher - took three of the final five points for the 25-22 win.

-Despite taking a 19-17 lead late in the second set, the Knights were unable to close out the Chargers, allowing the hosts to tie the set at 23-all before taking advantage of a pair of Arcadia errors to take the 25-23 victory.

-Neither side was able to take a commanding lead in the third set with the match tied at one set apiece, as the Knights and Chargers arrived at a 20-20 tie. Following a Braas kill, Lancaster Bible took four-straight points to bring on set-point for the hosts and, following an Arcadia timeout, the Knights won five-straight points as Braas and Manley provided two kills each to go along with a Pichler ace to take the set 26-24 and the advantage in the match, 2-1.

-The fourth set proved to be a carbon copy of the third as the Knights held a 19-17 lead before the two sides alternated the next 11 points, resulting in 24-23 Arcadia advantage. With the match on the line, the Chargers tied the set at 24-all on an Arcadia error but a Manley kill and a Lancaster Bible attack error clinched the match for the Knights with a 26-24 set win.

KNIGHT LEADERS

-Kills: Braas 17, Pichler 13
-Aces: Manley/Nissley 2
-Blocks: Moctezuma 6, Braas 5
-Assists: Devantier 53
-Digs: George 11, Pichler 7

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

-The Knights held the edge in kills on the night, 59-54.
-Arcadia recorded five service aces opposite the Chargers' four.
-The Knights also had the advantage in both blocks (12-8) and assists (56-52).
-The Knights' .336 hitting percentage edged the Chargers' .263 mark.

UP NEXT

No. 10 Arcadia (3-3) hosts its first tri-match of the season Saturday inside Alumni Gymnasium, hosting a pair of top-ten opponents in No. 7 Juniata (1 p.m.) and No. 9 Vassar (5 p.m.)

Wear a Bills cap while raking. You never know when a column might drive up
By Erik Brady, Buffalo News
Monday, January 27, 2020

ARLINGTON, Va. — Columnists, as a rule, go looking for their stories. Every once in a while, though, their stories come looking for them.

I was raking the front lawn of our home in northern Virginia on an unseasonably warm afternoon a few days after Christmas. A white Nissan Sentra drove past. Then it stopped. I noticed the car backing up ever so slowly. It stopped again, this time right in front of me. The passenger side window slowly scrolled down.

A woman in the passenger seat smiled brightly. Then the man in the driver’s seat leaned forward, so that he could see around her, and shouted out: “Go Bills!”

Turned out he had spotted the Bills ball cap I was wearing and he just had to stop and say hello. Strangers don’t often pull over out of the blue to chat around these parts, but it turns out a blue bison with a red streak on a New Era 59Fifty cap will make people do that sometimes.

The man introduced himself as Daniel Liberto. He is coach of the men’s volleyball team at Marymount University, a Catholic school in Arlington not far from where we were talking. (Marymount’s main campus is on the former estate of Admiral Presley Marion Rixey, who had been the personal physician to William McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt, familiar presidential names around Buffalo.)

Liberto quickly introduced his fiancée, Emily Wade, who lives on our little stub of a street that dead ends at the county line. Wade proudly showed me that she was wearing a Bills T-shirt — a brand-new Christmas gift.

“His family welcomed me with open arms,” she said, “and Bills gear.”

Liberto, 31, is from Rush, south of Rochester, where he graduated from Rush-Henrietta Senior High School. Wade, 33, is from Lynchburg, Va., where she graduated from E.C. Glass High School. (Buffalo connection: That’s the alma mater of noted Bills alumnus Ruben Brown.)

Liberto’s father grew up in Buffalo, on Richmond Avenue, and his mother grew up in Blasdell. Liberto says he is a fanatical Bills fan because, in his family, he has to be.

“My mother’s side of the family is really passionate,” he said. “Her father had season tickets going back to the Rockpile. They’d go to every home game and some years fly to Miami for the Dolphin games.”

Liberto has a pair of players on his Division III volleyball team who root for the Bills, too: Senior Joseph Zanelotti, who played at Williamsville South, and sophomore Ervin Harrell, who played at Cheektowaga.

“Western New York is a good place for recruiting in volleyball,” Liberto said.

Zanelotti made The Buffalo News’ All-Western New York second team in 2014 and Harrell made it in 2017. Zanelotti also played for the Southtowns Volleyball Club and Harrell for Niagara Frontier 18 Gold.

“They’re great kids,” Liberto said. “We talk about the Bills all the time.”

He can talk Bills with Wade, too. She watches games with him. Was it a simple case of love me, love my team?

“No, nothing like that,” he said, laughing. “She was unaffiliated, so she didn’t have a team. She just realizes that the Bills are an important part of my life.”

Wade, who studied art history at the University of Virginia, teaches art at an elementary school in Arlington. She and Liberto met a year ago on a dating app called Bumble. They got engaged at Letchworth State Park in August and they’ll be married in Lynchburg in July.

“My Aunt Roseanne, when I told her I got engaged, the first thing she said was, ‘You have to take her to a Bills game,’ ” Liberto said. “My aunt lives in Hamburg and her family has four season tickets since forever.”

Liberto hasn’t taken Wade to that Bills game yet, but it will happen. As it is, he comes back to Buffalo every year to go to a Bills or Sabres game — sometimes both — with old high school pals.

“It’s like the Bills are a part of Dan’s family,” Wade said. “The joke going around is the inside of my wedding ring will be inscribed with, ‘Go Bills.’ ”

Liberto drives a 2010 Sentra with more than 130,000 miles on it. More than 1,000 of them came over the holidays when he and Wade visited his family in Rush, his grandmother in Buffalo on Christmas Day, and then Wade’s family in Lynchburg after that. They were just getting back from their tripartite journey when they spotted the old guy raking his lawn.

“I said to Emily, ‘Bills hat!’ ” Liberto said. “And then I put it in reverse.”

Some columns you find at the far corners of the world. And some find you on your own front lawn.

Daemen Men's Volleyball Gets In Win Column At D'Youville
Wildcats Sweep Spartans In Straight Sets
By Mike Miranto, Sr. Associate A.D. for External Operations & Communications, daemenwildcats.com
Sunday, January 26, 2020

BUFFALO, N.Y. - The Daemen College men's volleyball team went on the road to pick up their first win of the season today, defeating crosstown rival D'Youville College in straight sets (25-12, 25-23, 25-15) at the College Center Gymnasium. 

Daemen, which had suffered losses earlier this month to high-profile Division I programs UCLA, Pepperdine and Harvard, moved to 1-3 on the season. The Wildcats are in the midst of just the second season in program history, and they remain the only NCAA Division II men's volleyball program north of the Mason-Dixon Line. 

D'Youville, which competes in NCAA Division III and the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference, fell to 0-1 with the loss in their season opener. It also marked Daemen's second win in three all-time meetings with the Spartans. The teams split a pair of meetings last season. 

TOP PERFORMERS

Freshman outside hitter Zach Schneider (Lockport, N.Y.) was the top dog for Daemen today as he posted a double-double with match-highs of 11 kills and 10 digs. Schneider, who attacked at a .300 clip in the match, added a pair of service aces.

Freshmen Jake Couzens (Hamburg, N.Y.) and Ryan Parker (Fairport, N.Y.) chipped in seven and six kills, respectively, while combining on a .346 hitting percentage. Couzens added two service aces, and Parker tallied six digs. 

Freshman setter Gavin Musielak (Eden, N.Y.) ran the offense, finishing with a match-high 29 assists. 

Dan Busha (six kills) and Karl Jauch (11 assists) paced D'Youville.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Daemen rattled off 10 of the first 11 points in the opening set and cruised from there, winning the set 25-12. The Wildcats pounded down 13 kills and committed just one hitting error in the set (.522 hitting percentage). 

D'Youville managed to keep things close in the second set. They led 12-11 before Daemen went on a 7-1 run to create the largest separation of the set at 18-13. Redshirt sophomore middle hitter Brandon Casterline (North Tonawanda, N.Y.) accounted for two kills and combined with Schneider on a block in the spurt. D'Youville came back to even the count at 22-22, but Daemen got back-to-back kills from Couzens and Schneider, and later took the set (25-23) following a D'Youville hitting error.

The Wildcats jumped out to a 9-4 lead in the third set, but D'Youville clawed back within two at 16-14 following a kill by Busha. Daemen responded with eight-straight points, including three of Casterline's five kills. Parker would end the set (25-15) and the match with a kill.

Daemen totaled 36 kills - a season-high for a three-set match - and had a season-best .324 hitting percentage. On the flip side, D'Youville was limited to just 17 kills and a -.013 hitting percentage.

NEXT SERVE

Daemen returns to action with three home matches next weekend. They'll face Wittenberg on Friday (Jan. 31) night, followed by matches Saturday (Feb. 1) afternoon against St. John Fisher and Alderson Broaddus.

D'Youville Men's Volleyball Opens up Season with Loss to Daemen
athletics.dyc.edu
Sunday, January 26, 2020

Buffalo, NY - The D'Youville men's volleyball team opened up their 2020 season on Sunday afternoon, falling to the visiting Division II Daemen Wildcats 3-0.

Daemen took an early lead in the first set, going up 9-1 over the Spartans. The Wildcats would maintain their lead as they were ahead 14-6 before going on to win the first 25-12.

The second saw D'Youville come out and play very well. Through the first several points, the Spartans led 7-4. Daemen would come back to take the lead 17-13, but D'Youville would then come back to tie the set at 21-21. However, the Wildcats would come back to take the second 25-23.

In the third, the Wildcats got out to an early lead again as they were up by six at 9-3. D'Youville would then go on a 5-0 scoring run to trail by one. The teams would continue to battle before Daemen pulled away at the end of the set, winning the third 25-15 and the match 3-0.

Freshman Dan Busha (Hamburg, NY/St. Francis) led the team with six kills in his first collegiate match, adding five digs. Mitch Mason (Eden, NY/Eden) tallied a team-high seven digs with Karl Jauch (Lockport, NY/Starpoint) adding 11 assists.

Ali Khadra (Williamsville, NY/Williamsville East) registered three kills, a block and three digs. Both Joshua Hoy (Grand Island, NY/Grand Island) and Danny Steck (Lancaster, NY/St. Francis) tallied two kills with Anthony Dean (Niagara Falls, NY/Niagara Falls) recording three. Troy Stancampiano (Williamsville, NY/Williamsville East) played in two sets in the match.

D'Youville will next play on Saturday, February 1 at Misericordia with their first match coming at 2:00pm against Elizabethtown. Their second match of the day will be played right after at 4:00pm against Misericordia.

No. 10 Penn State Outlasts USC for Five-Set Win
The Lions Have a Four-Match Winning Streak After a 2-0 Weekend
gopsusports.com
Sunday, January 26, 2020

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The 10th-ranked Penn State men's volleyball team finished off a 2-0 weekend in the Big Ten/Pac 12 Challenge with a thrilling 3-2 (23-25, 29-27, 27-29, 25-23, 15-12) win over USC on Sunday at Rec Hall. It was the first time the Lions went 2-0 in the five-year history of the event.

Penn State won its fourth straight match to improve to 4-2 on the season, while USC dropped to 1-6 overall. The Trojans are coming off a season in which they qualified for the NCAA Tournament.

The Lions hit .371 as a team, tallied 16.5 blocks, and took advantage of 26 service errors by the Trojans.

HOW IT HAPPENED

After trading wins through the first four sets, all of which were decided by just two points, Penn State trailed 11-10 in the deciding set before scoring five of the final six points. The match ended with a 3-0 Penn State run that started with a service error and finished with a pair of double blocks by Henrik Faulk Lauten and Jason Donorovich.

Brett Wildman had three kills on four swings in the final set and finished with 19 on .486 hitting for the match. He tied USC's Kyle Gear for the match high in kills.

Calvin Mende did a little bit of everything for Penn State, hitting .452 with 17 kills in addition to seven digs, six total blocks and three aces. Donorovich was solid all-around, as well, coming through with nine total blocks and nine kills on .471 hitting. Bobby Wilden had 11 kills to give the Lions three in double-digits and added four block assists.

Penn State had leads late in each of its two set losses, going up 23-22 before falling 25-23 in set one, and leading 26-25 before dropping the third set 29-27.

The Lions overcame those two defeats with a couple of tough wins of their own. They scored three straight points to take set two, 29-27. The run began and ended with kills by Wildman. Those were sandwiched around a triple block by Cole Bogner, Canyon Tuman and Wilden. The Lions trailed by as much as four (13-9) in the fourth set before coming back for the 25-23 win. Mende closed that set with a kill off an assist from Bogner.

Bogner recorded 53 assists on the night while also contributing six digs and four block assists. Nearly everyone chipped in on the defense at the net, including Tuman with five block assists and Falck Lauten with three block assists.

USC was paced by Vecas Lewin, who hit .611 with 12 kills. Kyle Gear finished with 19 kills on .375 hitting and added seven digs. Chris Hall totaled a match-high 65 assists.

MIKE ANDERSON MAN OF THE MATCH

Jason Donorovich was the recipient of the Mike Anderson Man of the Match after teaming up with Henrik Falck Lauten for a pair of blocks to close the fifth set. Donorovich had three total blocks in addition to two kills on two swings in the deciding set. He finished the match with nine kills and nine total blocks.

HEAR IT FROM THEM

Head Coach Mark Pavlik

• "Matches like these are tough on these guys. They try to grit it out and understand that we don't have our best stuff, so we have to play in the black a little bit. We have to use our opportunities; we can't give away opportunities. For us on the bench, it's even tougher because you see the stretches of great volleyball by both teams and you say 'that is the way the game is supposed to be played.' Then you see the stretches that don't resemble the sport that we know you say 'man who is coaching that team?' These guys love to go in the deuce games. I can't say enough of how proud I am of their effort to just find a way to win. That's a trait this team has shown in the past six matches; we will find a way to win."

• "The team is setting a standard that they know where their compete level is at. They're not going to be afraid to look at a scoreboard and be concerned we are down one and they have 23 or 24. It's great to have that this early in the season."

Sophomore Outside Hitter Brett Wildman

• "We went into this game knowing that [USC] were competitors and they were going to play pretty hard. We were just trying to focus on our own side. We knew that our top-level could out-match them in the long run. We just focused on our side and handling what we had to do to get the win."

Redshirt Senior Middle Blocker Jason Donorovich

• "This team seems to be clicking a lot more than teams might have in the past. I think we all know we are all really good volleyball players and we can compete with anyone in the nation. This team loves volleyball and loves to compete with each other. It's like playing backyard volleyball."

Redshirt Senior Opposite Calvin Mende

• "The confidence comes from the fact that we have been in so many close games. So it's not like we look at the scoreboard and its 25-25 and we're like 'oh my gosh.' We've been here about ten other times before this season."

GAME NOTES

• Penn State beat USC for the fifth time in six matches. Each of the last four of those matches went five sets.
• The Lions have a four-match winning streak over the Trojans in matches played in University Park, winning in 2004, 2005, 2016 and 2020.
• Calvin Mende's three service aces matched a career high that he set against Lewis in 2017.
• Brett Wildman's 19 kills were easily a season-high, eclipsing the 12 he had in a win over UCLA on Friday. His career high is 24 against Princeton last season.
• The match featured 45 ties and 14 lead changes.

UP NEXT

Penn State hosts Ball State in South Gym on Friday at 7 p.m., and Ohio State in Rec Hall's main gym on Saturday at 7 p.m.

Saints Split Home Tri-Match, Defeat PSU Altoona
marymountsaints.com
Saturday, January 25, 2020

ARLINGTON, Va. - The Marymount University men's volleyball returned home on Saturday for another tri-match, hosting Lancaster Bible College and Penn State University-Altoona in the Converse Family Fieldhouse. The Saints fell in the opening match against the Chargers before winning the second match against the Lions.

Match 1: Lancaster Bible 3, Marymount 1

A good matchup to start the day saw both teams reach at least 20 points in each of the four sets. 

In the first set, the score swayed often all the way to a tied game at 21-21 when sophomore Jason Perkins layed down a kill. However, four-straight points by the Chargers gave them the first game, 25-21.

The second set had the Saints rallying for a 14-kill game with a .478 hitting percentage. Never trailing at any point in the set, MU earned the win with another Perkins' kill, 25-20. 

The final two games played like the first set, where it was tight all the way to the end. Unfortunately, both worked in favor of LBC for the 3-1 final. 

The offense had three Saints register double-digit kills led by senior Sam Safley with 13. He was joined by sophomore Raymond Tarasi and Perkins with 12 and 11, respectively. Senior Joseph Zanelotti tossed out 37 assists, while sophomore Ervin Harrell laid out for a match-high seven digs.

Match 2: Marymount 3, PSU Altoona 1

The Saints rallied back with a dominating three sets in the final match of the day against the Lions, earning the 3-1 (25-15, 20-25, 25-17, 25-13) victory.

Although they slipped in the second set, 25-20, the Saints controlled the match with throttling spreads in the other three sets. In the first, MU jumped out 5-0 off the start and never looked back. In the third set, two runs of five-straight points each pushed the Saints out to a 18-10 advantage, a lead the Lions couldn't overcome. And, in the fourth, a 9-2 start had MU rolling on the momentum all the way to a 25-13 win.

Safley, again, led the offense with 15 kills on a .370 kill percentage, while Tarasi added 11. Zanelotti sent out a match-high 35 assists, and sophomore Chris Manganiello grabbed double-digit digs with a match-high 11.

The Saints remain at home for a single match on Wednesday, January 29, hosting Loras College at 7 p.m.

Brewers Sweep Weekend Matches; Upset No. 4 Endicott
vassarathletics.com
Saturday, January 25, 2020

POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. - The Vassar men's volleyball team went 2-0 in their home opening tri-match, defeating Ramapo (25-19, 25-20, 25-16) and then downing No. 4 Endicott (25-20, 25-13, 25-21) on Saturday afternoon at Kenyon Hall. With the wins, Vassar moves to 4-2 and has won four straight.

Senior Kevin Ros (Bridgewater, NJ) led the day with 21 kills, while freshman Gavin van Beveren (Alpharetta, GA) and junior Ryan Duchemin (Maitland, FL) added 20 and 16 kills, respectively. Freshman Andrew Kim (Rancho Santa Margarita, CA) and Duchemin each had three service aces.

The Brewers opened the competition with a swift four-point lead before Roadrunners got on the board. Vassar maintained dominance the entire set leading by as much as six. Vassar took the first set, 25-19.

In the second set, Vassar jumped out to a 6-3 lead, but the Roadrunners regained some composure, taking a 10-7 lead. Kills from Kim and van Beveren pulled the Brewers within two and then a 3-0 run tied the set 14-14. After a Vassar error, Ramapo retook the lead, but for the last time. Vassar scored the next six with a kill and two aces from Ros, as well as a Duchemin kill. Ramapo fought back to cut the game to 21-18, but Vassar responded to go up 24-18. The Roadrunners tacked on two more points before Vassar closed out the set. 

Vassar kept the pressure up in the third set, going up 9-5 following an ace by Jake Kaplan (Leesburg, VA). The teams traded points before Vassar closed the game on a 4-0 with Ros knocking in the final two kills.

Ros led the match with nine kills, while Duchemin and van Beveren had eight each. Van Beveren also recorded an 88.9 hitting percentage. Steven Koja (Temecula, CA) led the team with 21 assists.

Against the Gulls, Vassar played nearly to perfection. The Brewers held a 49-24 kill advantage and hit 48.1 percent. Three players in Kim, van Beveren, and Ros recorded 12 kills, and all hit over 50 percent.

The Brewers hit aggressively in the first set, making five kills to take a 6-3 lead. Endicott pulled within one, but Vassar used three Gulls' errors to take an 11-7 advantage. Koja and Ros knocked in a pair of kills to take an eight-point lead, but Endicott scored four straight to force a Vassar timeout. A kill by van Beveren made it 24-19, and then Adam Gulick (Williamsville, NY) banged in the set point.

Vassar hit an impressive 78.9 percent in the second set, totaling 16 kills with only one error. The Gulls pulled within four, but three Gulls' miscues gave Vassar a 17-10 lead. With the score 19-13, Vassar went on a 6-0 run that was capped off with a service ace by Kim.

Endicott looked to avoid the sweep but was never able to take the lead. The Gulls scored three straight near the end of the set, but ultimately it was Vassar closing out for the win.

Duchemin added eight kills, while Kim led the team with eight digs. Van Beveren also added five blocks and an ace. Koja picked up 40 assists.

Vassar is back on the road next, traveling to the Arcadia Tri-Match on Sat. Feb. 1. The Brewers first play Juniata a 3 p.m. and then Arcadia at 5 p.m.

Diedrich's Defense Helps 'Dons to a 3-1 Victory Over Patriots
gomastodons.com
Saturday, January 25, 2020

FAIRFAX, Va. - The No. 11 Purdue Fort Wayne men's volleyball program earned its second road victory of the season after a 3-1 (25-18, 20-25, 25-19, 25-19) victory against No. 12 George Mason on Saturday (Jan. 25).

Richie Diedrich tallied a career-high 12 total blocks, contributing to the 18 total team blocks. This is the most blocks the Mastodons have had since February 3, 2017 against McKendree.

In the first set, the Mastodons took the lead early with a 3-1 lead. Diedrich started the 'Dons off with a kill and a service ace. After tying it up 6-6, Purdue Fort Wayne went on their first four-point scoring run to make the score 10-6. The Patriots came back with a five-point scoring run after a timeout, but the Mastodons fired back with another four-point scoring run. Diedrich earned five blocks and Pelegrin Vargas had five kills in the first set.

The Patriots took the lead early in the second set and held it for the duration. Tomas Gago recorded seven kills with no attack errors and Diedrich had two more blocks.

Set three was neck and neck until late. Neither team had more than a two-point lead up until the Mastodons pushed the lead to 19-16.Wilmer Hernandez had a kill and the Patriots had three attack errors allowing Purdue Fort Wayne to take a three-point lead. Jon Diedrich had two kills in a row, moving the lead from 19-17 to 22-17. George Mason could not retaliate and the 'Dons ended the set 25-19.

The momentum didn't stop for Purdue Fort Wayne and set four was all Mastodons. Vargas had three kills in a row to go up 14-9, which concluded a 7-1 run. R. Diedrich had two blocks in this stretch. The rest of the match was back and forth, but the 'Dons had built up a lead that would hold the rest of the way.

Vargas earned himself a double-double, with 20 kills and 10 digs. Gago contributed 12 kills and .391 hitting. Troy Gooch had a career-high 12 digs and Frederico Santos had 40 assists. The Mastodons kept the Patriots at .000 hitting percentage in the first set and the fourth set, and Mason finished with just .061 hitting.

Purdue Fort Wayne escalates to a record of 4-2, while George Mason falls to 3-3. The Mastodons will return to Fort Wayne on Friday (Feb. 7) for a match up against Urbana at 7 p.m. ET. This will be the first time the 'Dons have ever played the Blue Knights, as they are in the first season of the program's history.

Wentworth Men's Volleyball Finishes SUNY Poly Invite at 3-1
wentworthathletics.com
Saturday, January 25, 2020

Marcy, N.Y. – The Wentworth men's volleyball team is headed back home to Boston with a 3-1 overall record after the SUNY Poly Wildcat Invitational hosted in Marcy, N.Y.

Wentworth highlighted the trip with a 3-1 victory over #7 Wells, and stunned the Express by set scores of 27-25, 24-26, 25-21, and 26-24. Wells, which moved up from #11 to #7 in the latest American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) national poll, was previously undefeated before the Leopard's triumph. The Leopards, who are also receiving votes (10) in the latest poll, went on to defeat Nazareth in straight sets by scores of 25-19, 25-21, and 25-20.

In the final day of the tournament, Wentworth made quick work of the host Wildcats 25-15, 25-23, and 25-11 with their second sweep of the year. The Leopards suffered their first loss in the final match to St. John Fisher, which also received 10 votes in the AVCA poll. The Cardinals bounced back from a 2-0 deficit to defeat Wentworth in five sets.

Match One: Wentworth 3, SUNY Poly 0 (25-15, 25-23, 25-11)

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE – TEAM LEADERS

Kills: Alex McLane (7), Drew Potter (6), Colin Stockton (5)
Assists: Connor Adams (27)
Digs: Phoenix Stebbins (9), Drew Hesse (6)

NOTES

Leopards earn second sweep of the season.
Wentworth holds a 9-0 record in the all-time series dating back to 2009.

Match Two – St. John Fisher 3, Wentworth 2 (25-22, 25-21, 14-25, 23-25, 12-15)

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE – TEAM LEADERS

Kills: Ryan Love (11), Hunter Oshman (8), Ryan Engel (7)
Assists: Augusto Rodriguez-Guerrios (35)
Digs: Peter Klembczyk (20), Ryan Love (15), Augusto Rodriguez-Guerrios (15)

NOTES

Both teams have met just twice in the all-time series, which Wentworth leads 2-0.
Four Leopards recorded double digits on defense.

NEXT

The Leopards will host MIT in their home opener on Wednesday at 7:00 p.m.

No. 15 Loyola Sweeps Urbana In Three Sets
The Ramblers move to 3-5 overall
loyolaramblers.com
Saturday, January 25, 2020

In Short

The Loyola University Chicago men's volleyball team swept Urbana, 3-0 tonight at home. The Ramblers advance their winning streak to two and move to 3-5 overall. Devin Joslyn led the Maroon & Gold with a career-high 13 kills, while Kyle Piekarski recorded 12 kills to guide Loyola to a season-high .469 attack percentage in the match.

How It Happened

Loyola set the tone for the match early in the first set, beginning with a 5-0 scoring run to lead 8-2. Joslyn and Kyle Piekarski each had four kills to push the Ramblers to a .667 attack percentage, their highest in a set all season. An ace from Luke Denton and Joslyn gave the Ramblers a comfortable 13-4 lead to force an Urbana timeout. The Ramblers maintained their energy to win set one, 25-12.

The Ramblers momentum carried into set two as Loyola dominated out of the gate with a 5-0 run that eventually became a 9-1 run. In due time, Loyola snagged a 10 point lead, 15-5 following two Andrew Lyons aces and a kill each from Ian Cowen and Piekarski. The Ramblers led by 12 points twice in the set and went on to a second set victory, 25-16.

Set three presented a bigger challenge as Urbana came out fighting. The teams were neck and neck for a larger part of the set, until the Ramblers took the largest lead, 18-14 from a Cowen ace. Joslyn powered the Ramblers with seven kills in the third set and they were able to shut it down, 25-19.

A Look At The Numbers

Five Ramblers posted career-highs or tied career-highs in tonights match.

- Andrew Lyons recorded career-highs in kills (five) and aces (two). 
- Devin Joslyn posted a career-high 13 kills and tied his career-high with four blocks.
- Anton Frank tallied a career-high four blocks and three digs.
- Ian Cowen registered a career-high two aces.
- Kyle Piekarski tied his career-high in kills with 12.

Up Next

Loyola heads east next weekend to visit George Mason on Friday, January 31 at 6 p.m. CT and Barton (at GMU) on Saturday, Feb. 1 at 4 p.m. CT.

Medaille Men's Volleyball Ends Road Trip With a Win
Mavs go 2-1 on the weekend
medaillesports.com
Saturday, January 25, 2020

NASHUA, NH – The Medaille Men's Volleyball team continued their road trip Saturday with two non-conference games on the schedule. The Mavericks were set to go head-to-head with Rivier University at 12 p.m. and Nichols College at 2 p.m.

The Mavs looked to stay in the win column following the win yesterday to kick-off their season.

Medaille would start the day off with a loss against Rivier but bounced back with a gritty win against Nichols.

The Mavs lost in straight sets to a very good Rivier team (13-25, 11-25, 17-25). Nick Patterson (Amherst, NY, Amherst Central), Joe DiGesare (Lancaster, NY, St. Mary's of Lancaster) and freshman Malachi Jackson (Cheektowaga, NY, Cheektowaga Central) all had a team-leading three kills.

The second match of the day started off with a thrilling first set that needed some extra time to decide a victor of set number one. The Mavs ultimately would fall in the first set against Nichols (26-28) but would take the next three sets to earn their second win on the young season (25-22, 25-21, 25-22).

Chris Pauline Jr. (North Tonawanda, NY, North Tonawanda) was unstoppable in the last match of the weekend, coming away with (18) kills. Patterson also reached double-digits in kills with ten. Setter Jake Siwy (West Seneca, NY, West Seneca West) totaled (41) assists in the victory, adding up to (55) total assists between the two matches.

The Mavs are off until next Saturday where they take another road trip to Cincinnati, Ohio for two matches against Eastern Mennonite University and Mount St. Joseph University.

Arcadia Men's Volleyball Splits at St. Joseph's (LI) Tri-match
arcadiaknights.com
Saturday, January 25, 2020

PATCHOGUE, NY - The #10 Arcadia University men's volleyball team split this weekend's tri-match with a 3-1 victory over St. Joseph's College (LI) and loss versus Sacred Heart University, 3-1. 

Quinn Baily and Jason Manley each had 21 combined kills to lead Arcadia's attack, while Anthony Devantier collected 86 assists on the afternoon. Zayne George led the Knights on the defensive side with a team-high 22 digs, while Robie Moctezuma led the way with five blocks. 

MATCH 1: #10 ARCADIA 1, SACRED HEART 3

- Sacred Heart began to distance themselves midway through the first set with five-straight points to pull ahead, 15-10. The Knights shrunk their deficit, but ended up dropping the opening set 25-20.
- Arcadia tied things up with a 25-23 victory in the second set. Trailing by one point midway through the set, Arcadia rallied off three consecutive points to take a 17-15 lead. The Knights controlled the lead for the remainder of the set.
- The Pioneers had a commanding 25-15 victory in the third set. Following a 5-0 run from the Knights, which pulled the squad within three points, Sacred Heart rallied off the last seven points of the set to take a 2-1 set advantage.
- Sacred Heart wrapped up play with a 25-20 victory in the fourth set. Despite an early lead from the Knights, Sacred Heart put together a 10-1 run to take a 20-14 lead, which changed the momentum of the set.

KNIGHT LEADERS

Kills: Nissley 8, Manley 7, Baily 6
Aces: K. Abraham 2
Blocks: Nissley 4, K. Abraham 3
Assists: Devantier 39
Digs: George 8

MATCH 2: #10 ARCADIA 3, St. Joseph's (LI) 1

- The Knights started off strong with a 25-21 win in the opening set. With the game knotted at 21-21, Arcadia claimed victory with the final four points of the opening set. Following two Eagle errors, Manley forced set point with a service ace, while Austin Braas ended the set with a kill. 
- Arcadia won the second set, 25-21, to put the Eagles at the brink of defeat. The Knights started the match off hot with the opening four points, which featured kills from Manley, Baily and Moctezuma. After St. Joseph's rallied back, Arcadia distanced themselves once more with a 7-2 rally, which gave the squad a 20-13 lead. 
- After St. Joseph's avoided defeat with a 25-20 victory in the third set, Arcadia took care of business with a fourth set victory, 25-19. The Knights were propelled to victory by a 5-0 run midway through the set, which gave the squad a 19-12 advantage. Following a kill from Jarod Pichler, Braas clinched victory with his ninth kill of the contest. 

KNIGHT LEADERS

Kills: Baily 15, Manley 14, Pichler 13
Aces: Manley 3
Blocks: Moctezuma 5, Manley/Devantier 4
Assists: Devantier 47
Digs: George 14, Pichler 12, Baily 11

UP NEXT

The #10 Knights (2-3) return to action on Tuesday at Lancaster Bible College.

SFU Falls to Lincoln Memorial in Five Sets
Mike McNabb, sfuathletics.com
Saturday, January 25, 2020

Harrogate, Tenn. – The Saint Francis men's volleyball team (2-4) played its second five-set match in as many days, falling to Lincoln Memorial (4-3) on Saturday afternoon.

Set One

· LMU jumped out to an early 6-3 lead, but SFU stayed in striking distance.
· After cutting the set to 10-9, the Railsplitters used a 4-0 run to regain a five-point lead.
· Trailing 20-15, SFU was able to cut the lead down to two late.
· LMU stopped the Red Flash run short and finished the set off, winning by five.
· Michael Fisher (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley) led the Red Flash with four kills.
· Roman Szwabinsky (Columbus, Ohio/Westerville South) chipped in 11 assists.
· Final Score: LMU 25, SFU 20

Set Two

· SFU began the second set with a 4-0 lead.
· The Red Flash kept a 3-5 point lead the majority of the match.
· After going up 18-15, LMU was able to cut the lead to one.
· SFU never surrendered the lead, though, and scored six of the final points to take the set by six.
· Michael Fisher (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley) had six kills in the set and Blake Liprando (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley HS) added three.
· Roman Szwabinsky (Columbus, Ohio/Westerville South) added 10 more assists.
· Final Score: SFU 25, LMU 19

Set Three

· SFU scored the first point, but LMU quickly went up 6-2.
· The Red Flash answered with a 7-4 run to cut the lead down to 10-9.
· LMU quickly rebutted, reextending its lead to 17-11.
· SFU was able to get close at 19-17, but LMU allowed no more and closed out the set by six.
· Michael Fisher (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley) registered five kills for SFU.
· Final Score: LMU 25, SFU 19

Set Four

· Down 2-1 for the second night in a row, the Red Flash looked to continue the comeback trend.
· The teams stayed within one point of each other until SFU took a 9-7 lead.
· After going up 15-10, SFU was then tasked with holding off the Splitters.
· LMU was able to cut it to two at 17-15, but that was the closest they got, as SFU poured it on late by scoring eight of the final 10 points.
· Michael Fisher (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley) continued a stellar performance with six more kills.
· Roman Szwabinksy also added 11 more assists.
· Final Score: SFU 25, LMU 17

Set Five

· SFU started the set 3-1, but Lincoln quickly answered to tie it at four.
· The teams then began to exchange points, seeing ties at every point from 5-10.
· Tied at 10, LMU scored five of the final seven points to defeat the Red Flash and take the match.
· Final Score: LMU 15, SFU 12

Box Score Notes

· Michael Fisher (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley) led the match with 17 kills. He also added seven digs.
· Roman Szwabinsky (Columbus, Ohio/Westerville South) tied his season-high with 40 assists, also a game-high.
· Brandon Dunz (Lake View, NY/Frontier Senior High School) led the match with eight block assists.
· Ryan Alu's (Pipersville, PA/Central Bucks West) 12 digs were also a game-high.
· SFU and LMU each finished with 39 kills.
· SFU had an attack percentage of .067 while LMU hit .124.
· SFU had seven more assists than LMU (47-40).
· LMU out-blocked SFU, 18-14. ­­­­­

Up next for the Red Flash is its second home match of the season, a Friday night battle with Ohio State at 7 pm.

Medaille Men's Volleyball Earns Victory in Season Opener vs. the Gators
Mavs defeat Gators 3-0 in first match of the season
medaillesports.com
Friday, January 24, 2020

ALBANY, NY - The Men's Volleyball team kicked off their 2020 campaign in Albany with a match vs. the Sage Colleges Gators. The Mavs came into the match looking to jump start their season with a victory. 

The Mavs did just that taking down the Gators in straight sets (3-0).

The first set was the closest of the three ending (25-21). The Mavs were powered to victory by a trio of service aces two from Jake Siwy (West Seneca, NY, West Seneca West) and one from Shawn Barbalato (Williamsville, NY, Williamsville South).

The second set again was close fought until an onslaught five kills in a row from Chris Pauline Jr. (North Tonawanda, NY, North Tonawanda). The second set ended in favor of the Mavericks (25-20).

In the third and final set the Mavs put their foot on the gas winning by a commanding (25-11). Attack errors from the Gators ultimately helped the Mavericks to their first victory of the season. 

Pauline set a new career high for kills in a game. Tonight Pauline had (15) beating his previous career best from the 2018 season of (10). 

Nick Patterson (Amherst, NY, Amherst Central) also had himself a solid night adding (12) kills for the Mavericks, one short of his career best.

Siwy had a team high (34) assists, and also a team high (2) service aces. 

The Mavericks will return to action tomorrow afternoon January 25th, in Nashua, NH where they will take on Rivier University and Nichols College. The first match is set for 12:00pm and the second match is set for 2:00pm.

Red Flash Downs King in Five Sets
Mike McNabb, sfuathletics.com
Friday, January 24, 2020

Bristol, Tenn. – The Saint Francis men's volleyball team (2-3) defeated King University (2-5) in a five-set thriller on Friday night.

Set One

· King jumped out to a 4-1 start.
· The Red Flash battled back and eventually tied the set at nine.
· King followed with another quick run to extend its lead back to three at 13-10.
· SFU tied it again at 13, then the rest of the set saw nip and tuck action with no lead for either team greater than two for the rest of the set.
· The teams eventually found themselves tied at 24, 25, 26, 27 and 28 before King scored the final two points for the win. 
· Blake Liprando (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley HS) led the Red Flash with six kills and Joshua Blair (Matterson. Illnois/Marian Catholic) added five.
· BJ Blair (Bridgewater, NJ/Bridgewater Raritan) was credited with 17 assists in the set.
· Final Score: King 30, SFU 28

Set Two

· SFU began the set with a 6-3 lead.
· The Red Flash held the lead the entire set, going up seven at one point and holding the advantage until the end.
· SFU pulled away even further late in the set, defeating King by nine.
· Michael Fisher (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley) led the Red Flash with five kills in the frame.
· BJ Blair (Bridgewater, NJ/Bridgewater Raritan) added ten more assists.
· Final Score: SFU 25, King 16

Set Three

· The teams traded points to start the third set, seeing ties at every point until 6-6.
· King took a two-point lead shortly after and held onto it, but SFU kept it within striking distance until the Tornado extended it to five at 20-15.
· The Red Flash gave it another run to cut it back to two, but King finished the Red Flash off and won by four.
· Blake Liprando (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley HS) had four kills in the set and Michael Fisher (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley) added three.
· BJ Blair (Bridgewater, NJ/Bridgewater Raritan) reached ten assists in the set again.
· Final Score: King 25, SFU 21

Set Four

· The teams began the set close yet again before the Red Flash used a 4-0 run to take a 7-3 lead.
· SFU gained a five-point lead at 12-7, but King answered shortly after to tie the match at 13.
· The Red Flash regained control after squandering the lead, bringing its margin back up to four at 19-15.
· SFU held off any King attempt at a comeback and closed out the set to tie the match at two.
· Joshua Blair (Matterson. Illnois/Marian Catholic) recorded four kills in the set to lead the Red Flash.
· Final Score: SFU 25, King 19

Set Five

· SFU jumped out to a 5-2 start.
· After taking the lead, the Red Flash never looked back, extending its lead to four and never letting King get closer than two.
· SFU extended the lead again, eventually wrapping up the match with a three-point win.
· Joshua Blair (Matterson. Illnois/Marian Catholic) registered three kills in the set.
· Roman Szwabinsky (Columbus, Ohio/Westerville South) had seven helpers in the frame.
· Final Score: SFU 15, King 12

Box Score Notes

· Joshua Blair (Matterson. Illnois/Marian Catholic) led the match and the team with 17 kills. Michael Fisher (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley) added 16 and Blake Liprando (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley HS) added 14.
· BJ Blair (Bridgewater, NJ/Bridgewater Raritan) finished with 37 assists and Roman Szwabinsky (Columbus, Ohio/Westerville South) finished with 18.
· SFU finished with 13 block assists, including 5 form Brandon Dunz (Lake View, NY/Frontier Senior High School).
· SFU outkilled King, 64-40.
· Attack percentage went to the Red Flash (.266-.125).
· SFU also had 60 total assists compared to 36 from King.

Up next for the Red Flash is a 2:00 p.m. matchup on Saturday against Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate, Tenn.

Ray Records Double Digit Kills in Second Straight Contest as Cougars Drop Match to St. Joseph’s (LI)
keanathletics.com
Friday, January 24, 2020

PATCHOGUE, N.Y. (1/24/20) – Jared Ray recorded double digit kills for the second straight match as the Kean University men's volleyball team dropped a non-conference match to St. Joseph's College (LI), 3-0 on Friday evening.

Will Flohr totaled 14 kills and 14 digs for the Golden Eagles who improve to 5-0 overall. Ray finished with a season-high 18 kills for the Cougars who fall to 1-4 overall.

The opening set saw Kean trail by four, before rallying to tie everything at 21-21. Ray deposited three straight kills to propel the Cougars in front at 24-23, but St. Joseph's finished out the set on a 4-1 run. The middle set propelled the Golden Eagles in front with an 8-2 run after being tied at 11-11 to start. The run gave the home team enough momentum to hang on for the victory. The final set saw St. Joseph's use a mid-set run to propel themselves to the easy victory.

Despite losing the first two sets, Kean posted better hitting percentage's and committed less errors. For the match, the Cougars hit .189 and the Golden Eagles hit .140.

Seth Russell totaled 14 digs and five kills, while Zach Gerken tallied four kills. Zachary Noll handed out 30 assists, while Jonathan Meyer collected 13 digs.

Head Coach Charlie Ginex and the Cougars will return to action in New Paltz, N.Y. on Friday, Jan. 31st, against the nationally-ranked Hawks of SUNY New Paltz at 7:00 p.m.

No. 15 Loyola Snaps Losing Streak, Tops Charleston, 3-1
Loyola captures the program's 500th team win
loyolaramblers.com
Friday, January 24, 2020

In Short

The Loyola University Chicago men's volleyball team snapped their five-match losing streak and topped Charleston tonight, 3-1 at Gentile Arena. Cole Schlothauer (13 kills) and Kyle Piekarski (10 kills) paced the Ramblers to help them advance to 2-5 and earn Loyola its 500th program win.

Coach Mark Hulse's Thoughts

"I thought we played pretty well," Hulse said. "Obviously it's good to get one in the win column. We've been struggling and battling with some really, really good teams and that all sounds great but you want to win. It's a lot more fun in the locker room afterwards when you get one in the win column, so it feels good for the guys. It was pretty consistent tonight, I thought we could've maybe been a little sharper early. The bad guys responded a little bit in the third, but we did a really nice job of bouncing back in the fourth and hit the gas pedal a little bit. We worked a little harder on some things and served a whole lot better down the stretch.

How It Happened

Charleston took a 7-3 lead but Loyola quickly turned the tables, going on a 4-0 run and securing the lead with back-to-back aces from Kyle Piekarski to move ahead 8-7. Loyola recorded four of its 11 aces in the first set, including one from Danny Sutton Farrell to put the Ramblers up again, 13-12. The Ramblers barely looked back after that, only letting the Golden Eagles come within one point before taking off to win the set, 25-20.

Schlothauer set to Devin Joslyn for a back row kill to give the Ramblers the largest lead of set two, 6-4. Neither team led by two points again until Farrell and Joslyn combined for a monster block to take the lead, 17-15. Schlothauer then rocketed another ace to make it 18-15, followed by another Farrell and Joslyn block to hold the lead 19-16. The Ramblers kept up their momentum with kills from Luke Denton and Piekarski, to hit a whopping .500 percent and capture the second set, 25-18.

Charleston pulled ahead in the final points of set three to win 25-23, despite exchanging points with Loyola a majority of the set. The Ramblers had taken a 7-5 lead off a Schlothauer kill, but didn't maintain the advantage beyond that. Farrell and Ian Cowen came up with a big block to tie it 21-21 before Charleston came back and won the set.

Loyola excelled in the fourth set, hitting .429 percent. Joslyn opened it up with a kill to put the Ramblers up 1-0. Cowen tallied two nearly back-to-back kills in the fourth set, tricking the Charleston defense to put Loyola up, 4-3. The Ramblers slightly halted at one point, falling behind 7-5 before going on a 6-1 scoring run and forcing a Charleston timeout. The Ramblers went on another 3-0 scoring run to take the lead, 16-11. Kyle Piekarski tallied three kills in the final points to lead Loyola to victory in the set, 25-17 and the match.

A Look At The Numbers

- As a team, Loyola tallied a season-high 11 service aces from six different Ramblers. The last time Loyola recorded over ten aces was on April 6, 2019 against Quincy. The Loyola single-game record for aces is 16, set on January 16, 2006.
- Schlothauer led the Ramblers in kills for the seventh game this season. He now boasts a total of 104 kills.
- Danny Sutton Farrell and Devin Joslyn posted four blocks a piece.
- Piekarski recorded a season-high ten kills.

Up Next

The Ramblers host Urbana tomorrow night at 7 p.m. at Gentile Arena. The Blue Knights are in their inaugural season and will face Loyola for the first time in program history.

No. 10 PSU Men's Volleyball Continues To Roll With 3-0 Sweep of No. 6 UCLA
gopsusports.com
Friday, January 24, 2020

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The No. 10 Penn State men's volleyball team continued its hot streak with a third-straight win over a higher-ranked opponent after a 3-0 sweep (25-22, 29-27, 26-24) of sixth-ranked UCLA Friday evening at Rec Hall.

The win marked Penn State's first at home at Rec Hall in the Big Ten/Pac 12 Challenge. Penn State (3-2) was outstanding offensively hitting .500 (44-7-74) as a team for the match.

UCLA dropped to 3-2 on the season.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Penn State was excellent to start its match thanks to an offensive onslaught in the first game. The Nittany Lions hit .552 (17-1-26) in the first set. Bobby Wilden had six kills hitting .667 (6-0-9) in the frame to lead Penn State.

Calvin Mende was also effective opposite of him on the right side with five kills and an ace. He notched a kill and then went on a three-point serving run that gave Penn State the early advantage in the set.

UCLA tied the set 13-13, but Penn State quickly ran off three points in a row to retake the lead it never gave back up.

UCLA came out firing in the second set with three points and held a 21-17 lead late in the frame, but Penn State battled back to tie the score at 23-all thanks to a service ace from Jason Donorovich and kills from Calvin Mende and Brett Wildman.

The Bruins ended up having three set-point chances in the game, but Penn State preserved and flipped service back in its favor, fitting ending the set on another Donorovich ace to win 29-27.

Another extra-point set came in the third set as Penn State once again stood strong against a late surge from UCLA. The Nittany Lions led 16-12, but a 7-3 UCLA run tied the game at 19-all.

Both teams traded points from there until Penn State's second-set point at 25-24 when the Nittany Lions watched UCLA's attack sail wide to end the match. 

HEAR IT FROM THEM

Head Coach Mark Pavlik
"This match was a great way to open the season for us. Anytime you get a chance to be on the court with the Bruins, you're going to face some adversity, you're going to face some physicality and you're going to face a team that knows how to play the game well.
"I thought that as each game wore on, our guys had opportunities to put pressure on them at critical points in the game, especially with our serves. I think that worked very well in our favor. I also think that we fought off some very good serving from them during those crucial times."

Senior Opposite Calvin Mende
"I think we just fell into a rhythm, you know, the first set goes by, you put a few kills on the board. Cole [Bogner] starts feeling out how the sets are going and we all just kind of fall into a rhythm. Yeah, I don't think it was anything special. I think the passes were on and the middles were up which kind of gave us a lot of opportunities on the pins. It was definitely a team effort that lead to that."

MIKE ANDERSON MAN OF THE MATCH

Sophomore setter Cole Bogner was the recipient of the first edition of the Mike Anderson Man of the Match award for his performance in leading the Nittany Lions' hitters. He had 38 assists and allowed PSU's point scorers to swing .500 for the match.

GAME NOTES

The Nittany Lions defeated UCLA for the first time since 2008 and ended an eight-match losing streak to the Bruins with the win.
Redshirt senior opposite hitter Calvin Mende led Penn State with 15 kills and 17.5 points. He hit .591 (15-2-22) and had a pair of service aces in the win.
Redshirt junior Bobby Wilden also continued his strong play with 11 kills at a .625 clip (11-1-16).
Sophomore Brett Wildman also added 12 kills while efficiently hitting .450 (12-3-20). He also had a game-high seven digs.
Jason Donorovich tied a personal match high with four service aces.

NEXT UP

The Nittany Lions finish the Big Ten/Pac 12 Challenge Sunday afternoon against USC at 4:00 p.m.

No. 10 Arcadia Men's Volleyball Drops Home-Opener to Eighth-Ranked NYU
arcadiaknights.com
Thursday, January 23, 2020

GLENSIDE, Pa. - The tenth-ranked Arcadia University men's volleyball team took the first set from No. 8 NYU in Thursday night's home-opener inside Alumni Gymnasium, but the Violets rallied to take the final three sets by a combined 11 points to take the top-ten matchup, 3-1. Anthony Devantier posted a match-high 40 assists and Jason Manley led the match with 17 kills, marking a season-high.

HOW IT HAPPENED

-The Knights and Violets played a tightly-contested first ten points to open the match before a 7-2 run staked the Knights to a six-point lead. After leading 19-12 in the latter stages of the first set, the Knights tore off a 5-0 run behind a pair of Dylan Zimmerman service aces to reach set point before a Manley kill capped off the 25-14 victory.

-After the Violets took the first three points of the second set, Arcadia answered back with four-straight points to take a one-point advantage before the two sides traded points and arrived at a 16-all standoff. The Knights fell behind four at 21-17, but a pair of Jarod Pichler kills and a Manley ace drew Arcadia within one, however, NYU took three of the final four points to draw even in the match, 25-22.

-Trailing 16-13 in the third, the Knights battled back with a 5-1 run to take an 18-17 lead powered by a Robie Moctezuma kill and four NYU errors. The Violets answered back to take a 24-22 lead before another Moctezuma kill within one with set point looming, but an Arcadia attack error sealed the 25-23, third-set victory for the Violets.

-Neither side was able to create separation early in the fourth set with the Knights' backs against the wall and, despite kills from Pichler and Austin Braas to keep the Knights in contention late, NYU took five of the final seven points to take the final set of the night, 25-19.

KNIGHT LEADERS

-Kills: Manley 17, Pichler 9
-Aces: Manley 3, Zimmerman 2
-Blocks: Moctezuma 3, Braas 2
-Assists: Devantier 40
-Digs: Devantier 10

TEAM COMPARISON

-The two sides finished the night even in kills with 45 each.
-Arcadia held the edge in both assists (44-43) and service aces (7-4).
-NYU ended the match with a .262 hitting percentage, opposite the Knights' .232 mark.

UP NEXT

No. 10 Arcadia (1-2) heads to Saint Joseph's College - Long Island Saturday to take on the Sacred Heart at 2 p.m. before facing the host Golden Eagles at 4 p.m.

Marymount Men's Volleyball Earns Fourth-Straight Win, Downs Messiah On Road
marymountsaints.com
Wednesday, January 22, 2020

MECHANICSBURG, Pa. - The Marymount University men's volleyball team earned its fourth-straight win on Wednesday night, dropping Messiah College in four sets, 3-1 (24-26, 26-24, 25-19, 25-23).

The first two sets needed extra points to decide a victory, with each team taking one of the games. The first set went in favor of the Falcons, 26-24, although both teams landed 12 kills. However, a higher consistency of swings for Messiah, registering a .474 hitting percentage, proved the decider down the stretch. With a 24-23 advantage late, the Saints had an opportunity to take the first set and gain the early momentum. However, a service error was followed by a block, a kill, and a MU attack error maneuvered the Falcons to steal the set.

The second game played differently, on the fact that the Falcons landed 15 kills to the Saints 11, but Marymount came out with the extra-point victory, 26-24. The Saints posted a higher hitting percentage for the set, .375, while only giving up two attack errors and dropping in four service aces. The Falcons had five attack errors and five service errors in the set, including a service error and an attack error on the last two points of the set to give MU the game. 

In the third set, the Saints found their flow with an impressive .867 hitting percentage with 13 kills and no attack errors to roll to a 25-19 win and a 2-1 advantage in the match. 

With a lot of confidence, Marymount carried momentum into the fourth set where it came down to a locked in situation late. Although the Saints had a lead through much of the game, the Falcons battled back to take a 21-19 lead, looking to push the match to a deciding set. 

Needing a timeout to regroup, Marymount came out for three-straight points with a kill by sophomore Miles Olson and back-to-back attack errors by Messiah to retake the lead, 22-21. A service error by the Saints had it knotted back up before they responded with two-straight kills by sophomore Raymond Tarasi to put the Saints at match point. The Falcons landed a kill to get closer, but an attack error sealed Messiah's fate. 

Senior Sam Safley led the offense with a match-high 18 kills on a .500 hitting percentage. He was joined in double figures with Tarasi, who knocked down 15 kills on a .423. Senior Joseph Zanelotti dished out a match-high 45 assists for the night, while sophomore Chris Manganiello dove out for a match-high 11 digs. 

The Saints will carry their win streak back home for another tri-match on Saturday, January 25, hosting Lancaster Bible College and Penn State University-Altoona in the Converse Family Fieldhouse. First match is set to begin at 1 p.m.

Russell and Ray Post Double-Digit Kills to Lead Cougars to First Victory of the Season
keanathletics.com
Tuesday, January 21, 2020

JERSEY CITY, N.J. (1/21/20) – Seth Russell and Jared Ray both posted double digit kills as the Kean University men's volleyball team recorded its first victory of both the season and in the New Jersey Athletic Conference with a 3-1 decision over New Jersey City University on Tuesday evening.

Ray finished with 16 and Russell posted 13 for the Cougars who improve to 1-3 overall and 1-0 in the NJAC. Jonathan Andrews totaled a team-high 13 kills for the Gothic Knights who fall to 0-1 overall and 0-1 in the NJAC.

Kean captured its first set of the season with a 25-20 victory. After being tied at 16-16, the Cougars closed out the set with an 8-2 run, including two kills from Ray and aces by Zach Gerken and Maxim Kostin.

After dropping set two, Kean used a 5-1 run midway through the third set to propel the Cougars to a 25-18 victory. Kean hit .400 while committing just three errors in the set win. The final set saw the Cougars put together a 5-2 run to finish off the match, while hitting .200 for an identical 25-18 victory.

Gerken finished with 32 assists, three aces, three block assists and three digs. Duncan Beilke totaled three kills and Jonathan Meyer collected six digs.

Head Coach Charlie Ginex and the Cougars will return to action on Friday, Jan. 24th, in Patchogue, N.Y. against the Golden Eagles of St. Joseph's-Long Island at 7:00 p.m.

No. 1 Hawaii Outlasts No. 12 Loyola, 3-1
Loyola is only the second team to win one set over Hawaii this season
loyolaramblers.com
Saturday, January 18, 2020

In Short

The Loyola University Chicago men's volleyball team snatched the first set before being stymied by No. 1 Hawaii in the final three sets. Loyola is only the second team to win one set over Hawaii after No. 5 Lewis won the first set over the Rainbow Warriors on January 17. Loyola moves to 1-5, while Hawaii advances to 7-0.

Coach Mark Hulse's Thoughts

"It's kind of like a mixed bag of emotions on one hand," Hulse said. As a staff, we're really happy with our response, just the way we played volleyball. Not talking about the x's and o's or the technical stuff, just the way we competed was night and day different from last night. We didn't take care of business, so that part, we're mad about, but we're in this process and we're just trying to get better, we're trying to compete really hard the whole time, we're getting better, we're competing hard, we need to do it more consistently, and we have to be a little sharper. Obviously, tip of the hat to Hawaii, that's a really, really good volleyball team, but it's always a bummer going home when you think that you maybe left a little bit on the bone."

How It Happened

Redshirt freshman outside Cole Schlothauer, sophomore Luke Denton and junior Devin Joslyn led the way for the Ramblers in kills, guiding Loyola to a .379 hitting percentage in the opening set. Denton's career-high 14 kills propelled the Ramblers, starting with a big kill to tie it up 4-4 early on. Blocks from redshirt freshman Danny Sutton Farrell and Schlothauer gave the Ramblers a 10-8 lead that only got larger when Denton snagged an ace to make it 15-12 Loyola. Joslyn later came up with a big kill to put the match to game point and Schlothauer launched it down one final time to give Loyola the opening set, 25-22.

Loyola nearly captured the second set, hanging strong with the Rainbow Warriors and eventually taking the lead, 20-17 and forcing a Hawaii timeout. Hawaii posted five kills and went on an 8-3 run to comeback for set two, 25-23. The Rainbow Warriors had possession the majority of the third set, extending it to 17-10 despite a couple kills from senior Kyle Piekarski. The Ramblers struggled to come back, closing the gap to as low as four before losing the third, 25-20. 

The Ramblers snatched a 12-8 lead on three consecutive kills from Schlothauer, Joslyn and Denton in set four, forcing a Hawaii timeout. The Rainbow Warriors responded, going on a 4-0 run to tie it 14-14. The teams continued to exchange side-outs before Hawaii stole the victory away from Loyola, 27-25.

A Look At The Numbers

- Luke Denton recorded a season-high 14 kills.
- Taylan Cook registered a career-high five digs.
- As a team, Loyola hit .316, compared to Hawaii's .367 percentage. 
- Denton and Anton Frank combined for four aces, while Piekarski, Farrell and Schlothauer combined for eight blocks.
- Ian Cowen approached his career-high, notching 48 assists.

Up Next

Loyola welcomes University of Charleston (Jan. 24) and Urbana University (Jan. 25) to Gentile Arena next weekend for two 7 p.m. starts.

No. 14 PSU Men's Volleyball Completes Five-Set Comeback Win Over No. 5 Lewis
gopsusports.com
Saturday, January 18, 2020

ROMEOVILLE, Ill. – The No. 14 Penn State men's volleyball team didn't let two-set deficit deter them from winning the final three sets in a 3-2 (22-25, 36-38, 25-14, 25-20, 15-12) comeback victory over fifth-ranked Lewis on the road Saturday evening.

Penn State (2-2) rallied from two sets down for the first time since the 2017 season to take down its second-straight ranked opponent on the road. It was also the first time in program history that the Nittany Lions took down both Lewis (3-3) and Loyola Chicago in the Windy City in the same season.

The Nittany Lions had four hitters with double-digit points, led by Bobby Wilden with 20 points from 16 kills, three service aces, and two block assists. 

Brett Wildman added 17 kills and hit .364 (17-5-33) and Calvin Mende also hit above .300 (.306, 16-5-36) with three aces, all which came right in a row in the third set.

Libero Will Bantle set a personal single-game high with 19 digs and a perfect 22-22 on serve receive while Cole Bogner had 51 assists.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Penn State led for the majority of the first set with its largest lead being three points at multiple points. Lewis chipped away and eventually took the lead at 19-18 and never gave it back, winning the set by three in the end.

Set two proved to be a doozy that lasted 74 points with 15 ties and four lead changes that all occurred after both teams reached 25. Penn State was down six at 17-11, but managed to tie the score 21-21 in what seemed like only the start of a lengthy frame between the two teams.

Penn State fended off Lewis' first set point at 24-23 and the two teams locked into a battle from there. The Nittany Lions swung the serve back in their favor at 27-26 and had six total set points, but Lewis got the two-margin it needed after a kill and a block.

Despite the emotionally charged set that ended in a loss for the Nittany Lions, Penn State came out of the intermission and dominated the third set early and did not look back. Multiple scoring rallies by the Nittany Lions and an efficient attack at .556 (12-2-18) led to their 11-point win in the third game.

While closer than the third, Penn State also hit well as a team at .444 (15-3-27) in the fourth and pulled away late to take the set. The Nittany Lions finished the fourth on a 7-2 run that included a five-point rally to set up the deciding final set.

Lewis took a two-point edge at 6-4 in the fifth, but Penn State rattled off four-straight points to retake the lead that was highlighted by a Bogner-Jason Donorovich block and a Donorovich kill.

The Flyers did manage to tie the score 9-9 and then later at 12-12, but Wilden's kill at 13-12 gave Penn State the final lead it needed. He ended the match at 15-12 with his 16th kill. 

HEAR IT FROM THEM

Head Coach Mark Pavlik

"This was a match that our resiliency was a big factor, especially building off our effort at Loyola yesterday. I think our passers matched up exceptionally well with their servers and to not finish with an receiving error in a five-set match against a talented team like that is outstanding. "

"I thought Cole Bogner made great decisions at setter running the offense and we're also beginning to see our offense evolve into a pretty solid unit." 

"We felt pretty good about our last 12-14 points in the second set and we preached to the guys to keep at it. Lewis was coming off an emotional match last night against Hawaii and we thought the longer we hung around, the better off we'd be and that's how it played out."

GAME NOTES

Penn State's victory from behind was its first comeback win after trailing by two games since Feb. 11, 2017 at Princeton.

The win over No. 5 Lewis was Penn State's first win over a top-five team since March 28, 2017 in a five-set win over No. 1 Ohio State and the first on the road since March 3, 2010 at No. 3 Ohio State.

Penn State did not allow Lewis to record a service ace for the entire match with a perfect 1.000 serve reception percentage (81-81) while conversely adding nine service aces.

The 74-point second set was the longest set played by the Nittany Lions since the 2016 season on March 4 at home against UC Northridge (37-39).

Wilden reached 10 digs to record his first career double-double and received all 22 serves sent his way. Brett Wildman was most targeted by Lewis servers, but received all 35 serves at him.

NEXT UP

The Nittany Lions will host the Big Ten/Pac 12 Challenge featuring four matches with Ohio State, UCLA, and USC. Penn State faces UCLA Friday, Jan. 24 and USC Sunday, Jan. 26.