Eagles Cruise Past Blue Jays

HUNTINGDON, Pa. –The #14 Juniata men's volleyball team cruised past Elizabethtown, 3-0 (25-12, 25-13, 25-17) Tuesday evening in Continental Volleyball Conference action at Memorial Gymnasium. It was the first ever men's volleyball meeting between two schools who are affiliated with the Landmark Conference.  

The Eagles came out looking to dominate as they took 16 of the first 19 points as they totaled seven aces to help them build their commanding lead. The Blue Jays managed to get within eight, 18-10 before kills from Kevin Duffy (Carlisle, Pa. / Carlisle HS) and Leland Hacecky (Ashburn, Va. / Stone Bridge) along with a Joe Fick (Venetia, Pa. / Peters Township)and a Blue Jay ballhandling error made it 22-10. A few points later, with Hacecky giving the Eagles set point, Austin Goodsel (Corry, Pa. / Fort Leboeuf HS) served the eighth ace of the set to give the Eagles et one, 25-12.   

The second set was a little tighter as the Blue Jays closed within one, 5-4, after an errant JC swing. Two kills from Will Hafen (Las Vegas, Nev. / Bishop Gorman) one from Stephen Ash (Elk Grove, Calif. / Cosumnes Oaks), a block from Quinn Peterson (Las Vegas, Nev. / Shadow Ridge) and Ash along with a Blue Jay attack error pushed the lead to seven, 11-4. The Eagles maintained that lead for the middle portions of the set, following another Etown kill it was 17-11. Another Eagle run essentially ended set two as Duffy totaled three aces and a block, Matt Schaeffer (Mount Wolf, Pa. / Northeastern) had two block assists, Hafen tallied another kill while Ash chipped in with a block assist during the surge. Holding set point at 24-13, Ash put down another kill to end the second set. 

The third set was the tightest one of the match as the Blue Jays hung tough most of the way, as they pulled within two on an Eagle attack error 18-16, after never trailing by more than four to that point. But the Eagles separated from that point behind a kill from Theodore Weinberger (Santa Clara, Calif. / Adrian C. Wilcox HS), two Peterson aces, an ace from Goodsel and a kill from Max Fasano (Merrimack, N.H. / Merrimack) made it 23-16. An attack error momentarily broke up the Eagle run, but a Fick kill pushed them to match point and Weinberger ended the game with a kill of his own.

The Eagles had the most service aces in a single match so far this season with 16 and their best hitting percentage of the year at .421.

They return to action Friday at home against Thiel.