Tyler's Lead Eagles into the Elite Eight in Five Set Thriller Over Springfield

HOBOKEN, NJ- Having one Tyler is sweet, but having two Tyler's is elite, as Tyler Goldsborough and Tyler Phillips led the Juniata men's volleyball team to a 3-2 (25-18, 25-21, 14-25, 22-25, 22-20) victory over Springfield College, Friday evening to advance to the Elite 8.

Phillips had a career high 23 kills (.390) to go with four digs, a solo block and two block assists while Goldsborough tallied 16 kills (.406), four service aces, five digs and four block assists. Campbell Gerdeman had 12 kills (.429), an ace, seven digs, and a block assist. Luke Hoffman totaled 11 kills (.474) and five block assists. Reese Ganter had a career-high 61 assists, an ace, three digs and a block assist. 

Midway through set one with the score at eight all, the Eagles went on a 9-2 two run, with a kill from Gerdeman and two straight from Phillips putting the exclamation point on the run. Juniata nursed the lead the rest of the way as the eventually took set one on a service error from the Pride, 25-18.

Set two, holding a narrow 9-8 lead, a kill from Gerdeman and a Goldsborough ace forced a Springfield timeout. JC took advantage of the break, and on the other side of the timeout, Gerdeman put down another kill and Goldsborough served up another ace. Juniata never let Springfield get closer than four the rest of the way, with a Chris Mellor kill ending the second set 25-20. 

The Pride used an early 8-2 run that put the Eagles in an 3-10 hole and they couldn't climb out of it. A Goldsborough kill made it 14-22, and the Pride took the final three points to wrap set three 14-25. 

In the fourth set, trailing 11-16, a Goldsborough kill, a Springfield error, and a block from Goldsborough and Mellor made it 14-16. A Pride kill pushed the deficit back to three before Goldsborough sandwiched kills around an ace by Andrew Perhamus to tie things at 17. The teams traded points as the score tied three more times, with the final one at 20-20. The Pride took five of the next seven to take set four, 22-25. 

The fifth set saw the Pride jump ahead by three, and the Eagles had to slowly work their way back. With the score at 10-12, a kill from Goldsborough and a block from Hoffman and Gerdeman knotted things at 12-12. The Pride took the next two as JC found themselves a point away from the season ending. After a timeout, Hoffman smashed down a kill, and Mellor and Phillips combined for a block. The teams traded points as Juniata fought off four more match points. A service error and another Hoffman kill gave JC their first match point, and Springfield called timeout. The Pride got a kill, called another timeout, and Phillips went off the block to make it 20-19. An exchange of service errors had JC at match point again, and this time they ended it. Phillips rose up and stuffed the Pride outside to end the game. 

This will be the third time Juniata advances to the Elite Eight under head coach Glenn DeHaven.

Juniata will take on the host of the regional Stevens Institute of Technology tomorrow at 6:00.