Eagles Tame Mustangs to Open the Season

OWINGS MILLS, Md.- The Juniata men's volleyball team kicked off their season with a victory over Stevenson University, 3-0 (25-16, 25-18, 25-18), Saturday afternoon at Owings Mills Gymnasium. 

Tyler Goldsborough totaled a match-high 12 kills (.333) with three digs and a block assist, while Luke Hoffman tallied nine kills (.750), an ace, and a solo block. Juan Armando had nine kills (.250), an ace, and five digs, and Chris Mellor contributed seven kills (.667) with an assist and a solo block. Reese Ganter had 31 assists, an ace, and five digs.  

The Mustangs scored the first two points of the match before the Eagles responded with four straight points, including two errors from Stevenson, an ace from Tyler Phillips, and a kill from Armando. 

The Mustangs pulled even at 6-6, but a service error and a block from Phillips and Mellor gave the Eagles the lead back at 8-6. The teams exchanged service errors, a Mustang attack error, and a kill from Mellor, which had JC up 11-7. Juniata stayed in control the rest of the way, taking set one on a Hoffman kill, 25-16.

Set two saw the Mustangs nursing a narrow 13-15 advantage. A Hoffman kill and ace, around an attack error from the Mustangs, made it 16-15. The Mustangs took the next point, Armando and Goldsborough put down kills, along with a block from Mellor and Goldsborough, and a Ganter ace made it 20-16. Juniata eventually took set two 25-18 on an attack error. 

Juniata hit a match-high .429 in set three. With the score at 12-12, the Eagles used kills from Campbell Gerdeman, Mellor, and Hoffman, and an error from the Mustangs to make it 16-12. The Eagles took the set on an error from Stevenson, 25-18. 

The Eagles will compete again next Friday at #11 St. John Fisher at 7:00.