Eagles Roll Past Royals, Soar Past Mustangs

OWINGS MILLS, Md.- The #5 Juniata men's volleyball team moved to 8-0 as they picked up wins against Eastern Mennonite 3-0 (25-15, 25-22, 25-18) and Stevenson (25-18, 25-20, 25-16) Saturday afternoon in Owings Mills Gymnasium. 

Against Stevenson, Tyler Phillips had a match-high 12 kills, two digs, and four block assists, while Tyler Goldsborough totaled 10 kills (.600), two aces, and eight digs. Chase Robbins added nine kills (.538), and an ace while Will Sierer had 23 assists, an ace and four digs. Grant Lorelli added 15 assists, a kill, and a block assist.  

Juniata dominated the first two sets as they hit .526 and .286, respectively, while holding the Mustangs to a 0.0 hitting percentage across the first two sets. 

In set three, with the score at 6-6, two errors, a block by Phillips and Dante Palombo, and a Sierer ace made it 10-6. Stevenson took the next two points until another error by the time surrounded by a Phillips kill, and a Goldsborough ace had the Eagles up 13-8. Juniata maintained an advantage the rest of the way, with Phillips eventually ending the match with a kill, 25-16. 

In the day's first match against EMU, Luke Hoffman had seven kills (.500) with two aces, three digs, two solo blocks, and five block assists. Juan Armando added eight kills, an ace, two assists, six digs, and two block assists. Octavian Sperry added eight kills, an assist, and five digs. Sierer contributed 16 assists and eight digs, while Lorelli had 13 assists, five kills, and two block assists.  

In the opening set, holding a late four-point advantage at 19-15, the Eagles took the final six points of the match, winning on a Hoffman and Lorelli block, 25-15. 

In two with the score 13-13, JC went on a 9-3 run to lead 22-16 on a block by Hoffman and Armando, but EMU scored four straight to get back within two 22-20. An error and an Armando gave the Eagles set point, and Sperry eventually smacked a kill down to end the set, 25-25. 

Juniata used another large run in the middle of the set, this time an 8-0 run with the score at 11-11 to put the match out of reach. Sperry eventually ended the match with another kill, 25-18. 

Juniata returns to action next Thursday at 7:00 as they travel to take on #8 Carthage in the FrogJump Invitational.