Eagles Neutralize Scarlet Raiders, Advance to CVC Championship
LEXINGTON, Va.- The #2 Juniata men's volleyball team swept aside Rutgers Newark University 3-0 (25-20, 25-18, 25-23) Friday evening in the Continental Volleyball Conference Semifinals, on the campus of Washington and Lee University.
Tyler Phillips totaled 11 kills (.318) with an assist, an ace, five digs, and three block assists. Felix Baier added eight kills (.238), four digs, and three block assists while Will Sierer tallied 28 assists, a kill, an ace, three digs, and a solo block. Dante Palombo contributed five kills (.273), four digs, a solo block, and four block assists.
Early in set one, with the score at 10-9, a Phillips kill, and an ace, bookended three Scarlet Raider attack errors at 14-9. Rutgers-Newark climbed back within two 17-15, but the Eagles held them off to take set one 25-20 on a Baier kill.
In set two, holding a two-point lead at 10-8, the Eagles took off on an 8-3 run that was completed with a kill from Phillips and another by Sierer to make it 19-11. Juniata cruised to a set two win, 25-18, on a Scarlet Raider attack error.
Juniata trailed late in the third set, 19-20, before a Polumbo solo block and another where he partnered with Phillips, combined with a Scarlet Raider attack error, made it 22-20. Rutgers-Newark took three of the next four to make it 23-23. Rutgers-Newark committed a service error to get the Eagles to match point; Phillips and Chris Mellor ended the match with a block, 25-23.
The Eagles advance to the CVC Championship, where they will face a familiar foe, Southern Virginia University, at 3:00 PM tomorrow.
This will be the third consecutive time these two teams have squared off in the championship match, and the fifth time overall. Juniata will be appearing in their eighth overall CVC Championship match.