Eagles Soar Past #8 Falcons

MECHANICSBURG, Pa.- The #4 Juniata men's volleyball team won on the road as they swept aside #8 Messiah, 3-0 (26-24, 25-23, 25-23) Friday evening inside Hitchcock Arena. 

Tyler Phillips totaled 10 kills (.444), one assist, and two digs, while Octavian Sperry tallied nine kills (.318) with three aces and two digs. Will Sierer had 23 assists, three digs, two block assists, and a kill. Chase Robbins added eight kills (.294), four digs, and a block assist. 

Juniata trailed 1-6 early and 11-15 later in the opening set, with two errors, a Robbins kill, and another from Dante Palombo tying things at 15-15. It was closely contested the rest of the way, with the Eagles reaching set point first at 24-22 on another Robbins kill. The Falcons took the following two points to tie things up. Phillips went off the block to give JC another look at set point, and a Messiah attack error ended the set, 26-24. 

The Eagles found themselves behind late in the second set, 18-19, prior to a Robbins kill, an ace from Gugu Del Toro and a Falcon attack error made it 21-19. The teams traded points the rest of the way, with a service error eventually ending set two, 25-23. 

The third set saw neither team lead by more than two, and was tied late at 22-22. Juniata closed the match, taking three of the final four points to win the match. 

Juniata returns to action tomorrow as they will take on Baldwin Wallace at 3:00 and Chatham at 5:00 on the campus of Chatham University.