Eagles Contain Cougars

UNION, N.J.- The Juniata men's volleyball team opened Continental Volleyball Conference play with a 3-0 (25-17, 25-17, 25-20) win at Kean University on Friday evening. 

Set one featured an early 6-0 run from the Eagles with the score at 2-3 as Tyler Phillips started the run with a pair of kills, Juan Armando added one of his own kills while Tyler Goldsborough contributed a kill and an ace along with a Cougar error. Juniata nursed their lead the rest of the way, with another Armando killing off a Kean defender, giving JC set point. Two points later, Goldsborough crushed a ball cross-court from the right pin to end set one, 25-17. 

In the second set, the Eagles used five straight points, all with Luke Hoffman on the service line, to go up 14-9. The run featured two Hoffman aces, and a Logan Constable kill. The Cougars eventually closed within three, 20-17, and Juniata countered, scoring another five consecutive points to end the set as Kean committed two straight attack errors to make it 25-17. 

The Cougars didn't go quietly as the final set was the closest, with the Cougars pulling even at 20-20. Juniata continued their streak of taking over late, taking the final five points to win the set and match 25-20. 

Phillips had ten kills (.625) with a dig and a block assist, while Armando added 12 kills (.400), two aces, two assists, eight digs, and a block assist. Goldsborough contributed 12 kills, two aces, an assist, nine digs, and a block assist. Reese Ganter had 38 assists, two kills, two digs, and a block assist as the team hit .364. 

Juniata returns to action tomorrow to take on CVC foe Rutgers-Newark at 1:00.