#11 Cardinals Ground #5 Eagles

PITTSFORD, N.Y.- The #5 Juniata men's volleyball team lost a tightly contested match on the road at #11 St John Fisher, 3-1 (28-26, 25-27, 24-26, 22-25), Friday evening in a rambunctious Manning and Napier Varsity Gym. 

Juan Armando totaled 18 kills with four digs, while Nathanael Brown added ten kills, two aces, five digs, and six block assists. Tyler Goldsborough tallied ten kills, one ace, 11 digs, and a block assist. Chris Mellor contributed nine kills (.438), three solo blocks, and three block assists. Reese Ganter had 45 assists, two aces, nine digs, and a block assist.  

Set one was an absolute battle that featured 21 ties, as the teams traded haymakers the entirety of the opener. The Cardinals reached set point first on a kill, 23-24, and Juniata called timeout. A service error tied things at 24, but a JC attack error saw them face set point again. Goldsborough put down a kill, but another service error nudged the hosts ahead again. Reese Ganter served up an ace, and Mellor smacked a kill through the floor to take set one, 28-26. 

Set two saw the Eagles take themselves to a five-point lead late at 19-14 and later held a three-point advantage at 23-20. The Cardinals took the next four points to reach set point. Juniata fought off two set points, but the Cardinals took set two on an error from JC, 25-27. 

Set three featured a 5-0 run from St. John Fisher that pushed them ahead 14-17, and the Eagles battled back to tie things at 19-19. Juniata got ahead 23-22 before a Cardinal kill and block saw them facing set point. Brown's kill made it 24-24 before St. John Fisher wrapped the set on a solo block and ace, 24-26. 

The teams traded 4-0 runs midway through the fourth set as the Eagles clawed back within two, 17-19, on a pair of kills from Armando and two Cardinal errors. St. John Fisher kept The Eagles at bay down the stretch to take the match, 22-25.

Juniata will take on Lasell at 11:00 and Misericordia at 3:00.