Men's Volleyball Topples #1 Defending National Champion Carthage in Five-Set Thriller
Photo by: Cottonwood Studios CNY (cottonwoodstudioscny.com)
SPRINGFIELD, Ohio- The #4 Juniata men's volleyball team took down the two-time reigning National Champion and #1 overall ranked Carthage, 3-2 (22-25, 25-21, 25-23, 18-25, 15-13), Friday evening inside Pam Evans Smith Arena.
The first set saw the Firebirds take an early lead and maintain it throughout. Carthage used a 3-0 run late in the set to push ahead 22-16, and Juniata called timeout. The brief interlude did the trick, as the Eagles got back within one behind three Kevin Duffy III kills, one from Max Cooley, and an ace from Maxwell Barr. The Firebirds called timeout and took three of the final four points of the set to take the opener, 25-22.
The second set was another tight affair, with neither team leading by more than two until a Luke Hoffman solo block, a Firebird attack error, and a block from Hoffman and Tyler Goldsborough made it 14-11. The Eagles continued to nurse their lead as it grew to as many as five, at 21-16, following a Carthage attack error. The defending champs fought back and eventually got within two at 22-20. The teams traded errors, so the score sat at 23-21 prior to another Firebird service error to give JC set point. A block from Colley and Duffy III ended set two 25-21 and tied the match at one set apiece.
Set three was more of the same, as neither team would lead by more than two at any point in the set. Juniata led 22-21, but two straight Firebird kills saw JC fall behind by one and call timeout. An error from Carthage and a block by Barr and Hoffman gave the Eagles set point, so Carthage called a timeout. Goldsborough didn't provide them with a chance to try to come back as he ended set three with an ace, 25-23.
Carthage came out on fire in the fourth as they led 2-8 early and 6-15 later in the set as the Eagles couldn't quite dig themselves out of the hole. JC got as close as four at 18-22, but the Firebirds took the final three points to force a fifth set.
The fifth set proceeded in a similar fashion as the teams traded haymakers. Juniata profited from seven Firebird errors as they led 11-8 following another kill from Goldsborough. Carthage called timeout, then took the next four points to reclaim the lead at 11-12. A service error made it 12-12, and Peter Carioto made lunging dive to keep a ball alive that ultimately Barr crushed for a kill to give JC the lead back, 13-12. Carthage called timeout and tied things at 13-13 with a kill. Hoffman's ninth kill of the match gave Juniata match point, and Cooley's 13th of the match gave Juniata the match, 15-13.
The Eagles handed Carthage their first loss in 364 days, as the Firebirds had last lost on January 28th 2022, against Dominican. It is also the Firebirds' fourth loss in the previous three seasons.
Tomorrow, Juniata will take on Wittenberg at noon and Aurora at 4:00 on day two of the Jim Coleman Invitational.