Eagles Soar Past Tigers to Close Juniata Invitational

HUNTINGDON, Pa.-The Juniata men's volleyball team closed the Juniata Invitational with a 3-1 (26-24, 25-16, 23-25, 25-23) victory over Wittenberg, Saturday evening in Memorial Gymnasium. 

The Tigers built up a quick lead early in the first set as the Eagles stayed close. With the score at 14-16, Quinn Peterson (Las Vegas, Nev. / Shadow Ridge) and Joe Fick (Venetia, Pa. / Peters Township) tallied a kill apiece while David Hibner (Burke, Va. / Lake Braddock Secondary) and Michael Young (Westlake Village, Calif. / Westlake Village) combined for a block to make it 18-16. The Tigers rallied again as they pulled back ahead 20-22 and 21-23. A service error and an attack error by the Tigers tied things at 23, but Wittenberg took the next point on an Eagle attack error to reach set point. Following an Eagle timeout, a kill from Kevin Duffy (Carlisle, Pa. / Carlisle HS) knotted the score, an ace from Fick gave JC set point and a bad set from the visitor ended set one, 26-24. 

The second set saw the Eagles climb lead Early, with the Tigers on their Heels, with a kill pulling them within one at 13-12. Two straight Fick kills and a Tiger error made it 16-12 and so the visitor's called timeout. Juniata continued to add to their lead with three Peterson kills, a kill from Leland Hacecky (Ashburn, Va. / Stone Bridge) and several Tiger errors made it 22-14. Kills from Duffy and Fick pushed JC to set point and the teams traded service errors to end set two, 25-16. 

The third set was the most effective set offensively for Wittenberg as they hit .519 and led most of the way. The Eagles pulled within one five different times at the end of the set, with a kill from Hibner making it 23-24, but the Tigers managed to hold the Eagles off and send the match to a fourth set. 

The fourth set featured the most lead changes as the teams went back and forth throughout. Trailing by two, 19-21, Juniata called timeout. A kill from Sean Cavanagh (Cranberry Twp., Pa. / Seneca Valley) and an attack error  knotted things at 21-21. The Tigers took the next two points, 21-23, but those were their final points of the match. A kill from Fick followed by a kill from Peterson tied the score again and Wittenberg called timeout. The Eagles reached match point when Fick smashed the ball of the Tiger block and into the stands. Following another Tiger timeout, an attack error ended the match, 25-23.

Fick and Peterson were named to the all-tournament team after their strong weekends.

The Eagles will return to action next weekend at the Nazareth Tournament against Nazareth, Friday at 8:00.