Eagles Split on the Day with Sweep of Cougars but Can't Quiet the Quack of #1 Ranked Stevens

HOBOKEN, N.J.- The #3 ranked Juniata men's volleyball team went 1-1 on the day as they swept Misericordia University 3-0 (25-12, 25-15, 25-21) before falling to top-ranked Stevens Institute of Technology 3-0 (23-25, 17-25,19-25) Sunday afternoon at Canavan Arena.

The Eagles controlled the opening set against Misericordia as they led 10-4 early and never let the Cougars get closer than four in the set. Later with the score at 19-12, a kill from Joseph Chambers, an ace from Will Phelan, and a kill from Max Cooley made it 22-12. Three straight errors from Misericordia ended set one, 25-12. Juniata hit .625 in the set and held the Cougars to -.136. 

The second set saw the Eagles jump ahead 10-5 and nurse the lead, leading 16-11 following an Eagle service error. A service error by Misericordia, an ace from Campbell Gerdeman, an attack error by MU, and a kill from Phelan had Juniata ahead by nine, 20-11. JC took set two 25-15 on a service error. 

Set three was the tightest of the match; Juniata again started hot, taking the first five points, but the Cougars responded, using four straight points to eventually get back within two at 13-11. An attack error by MU and a block by Austin Goodsel and Chambers briefly had Juniata back ahead by four. The Cougars would again cut into the lead, eventually pulling within one at 18-17. Three straight errors from Misericordia made it 21-17, and Juniata went on to win the set and the match, 25-20, on a kill from Grant Lorelli. 

Gerdeman led the team in kills with nine and added an ace and five block assists, while Phelan had an efficient five kills, hitting .667 with an ace, five digs, a solo block, and a block assist. Chambers tallied four kills, two aces, a dig, and seven block assists.

In the second match of the day, the Eagles built a quick 6-2 lead that included two kills from Maxwell Barr, one from Luke Hoffman, an ace from Kevin Duffy III, and a block by Tyler Goldsborough and Hoffman. Juniata continued to hold an advantage, leading by four at 17-13 after a Goldsborough kill. Stevens eventually took a small lead, 20-21, but JC bounced back with kills from Barr and Goldsborough, along with a Reese Ganter ace, to lead 23-21. Stevens called timeout and took the final three points of the set to steal set one, 23-25. 

Set two saw Stevens take control of the set early as they used an early 9-1 run to lead 5-14. The Eagles got the deficit down to five at 10-15 following a Duffy kill but couldn't get any closer as the hosts took set two, 17—25. 

The Eagles faced an uphill battle in the third set but didn't quit, as they tried to catch the Ducks, but every time they got close, Stevens would pull away. An ace from Hoffman brought Juniata within one early at 7-8, but the Ducks took the next four. The Eagles worked their way to get back within two following an error at 12-14, but again Stevens countered with three straight points. Trailing by five late, two Ducks errors and a block by Barr and Duffy brought Juniata back within two at 17-19, and Stevens called timeout. The Ducks closed the match out from there as the Eagles scored two more the rest of the way, 19-25. 

Goldsborough led the way with 14 kills (.435) with an assist, six digs, and two block assists. 

Juniata will host Roanoke Friday, March 3, at 7:00.