Eagles Wrap Up Regular Season With Sweep of Knights

HOBOKEN, N.J.- The Juniata men's volleyball team closed the regular season with a sweep of Arcadia, 3-0 (25-16, 25-20, 26-24), Saturday afternoon at Canavan Area.  

Set one saw Juniata build up a small lead and nurse it throughout. Arcadia pulled within three midway through, 14-11, but kills from Leland Hacecky (Ashburn, Va. / Stone Bridge) and Will Hafen (Las Vegas, Nev. / Bishop Gorman) gave the Eagles some breathing room. Three straight errors, one by the Eagles and two from the Knights made it 19-13. Arcadia got back within six late, 22-16, but those were their last points. A kill from David Hibner (Burke, Va. / Lake Braddock Secondary) alongside a block by him and Sean Cavanagh (Cranberry Twp., Pa./Seneca Valley) gave JC set point and Michael Young (Westlake Village, Calif. / Westlake Village) ended set one with an ace. 

The second set saw the Eagles lead for almost the entire set, but this time the Knights closed within two late, 21-19. Kills from Hacecky and Cavanagh again extended the JC advantage and forced an Arcadia timeout. The Knights took the following point coming out of the time out, but an attack error gave Juniata set point and another Hacecky kill ended set two, 25-20. 

In the third set, the Knights built up a six-point lead, 13-19. A service error, an attack error and kills from Cavanagh and Hibner pulled the Eagles back within two. The Knights scored via a kill, before kills from Hafen, Hacecky and Cavanagh and a Knight attack error helped the Eagles retake the lead 21-20. The teams traded points down the stretch, with a Hafen's seventh kill of the match giving JC match point. The Knights tied things at 24-24 before a Kevin Duffy (Carlisle, Pa. / Carlisle HS) kill followed by a Hibner solo block ended the match. 

Juniata closes the regular season 20-7, crossing the 20-win plateau for the ninth time in program history. 

They will take on Ramapo in the CVC Quarterfinals, Thursday at 8:00 at Rockbridge County High School in Lexington, Va.