ASTON, Pa.– Regardless, it was going to be a night of firsts for Eastern University Men's Volleyball. In their first game, the young Eagles picked up the biggest first with a convincing three-set win at Neumann. The Eagles (1-0) hit .577 as a team and recorded nine aces in the win. Cameron Parsons led the Eastern attack with 28 assists, four kills, and two aces.

The Eagles got their first lead and first kill on the same play. Parsons picked up the first kill on a pass from Nicholas Hulbert. The host Knights (0-1) grabbed a brief 4-3 lead before Hulbert tied the match with a kill from Parsons. The Eagles then scored three points with Noah Westbrook serving to build an edge that they would not release. The Eagles cruised to a 25-13 win in the opening set. Eastern hit .632 in the opening frame with 12 kills and no hitting errors.

The Eagles took the lead for good in the second set on a Christian Knaub kill for a 6-5 lead. That kill sparked a 9-to-1 run that put Eastern comfortably in command of the second set. The Eagles claimed the second set 25-13 as well. Eastern closed out the match with a 25-16 win in the third.

Hulbert and Darren Lopez each had 8 kills. All six players who saw the court in the match had at least three kills. Hulbert led the team with 11 digs. Eastern's serve-receive allowed only two Neumann aces. Anthony Smith had five kills on five attacks. He added a pair of blocks.

Coach Syracuse says:
"It was a terrific team win tonight.  The guys have been working hard in practice and were anxious to put their skills to the test. They were so happy to be competing again. I was very pleased with our overall ball control. Cam was able to move the ball around and create great opportunities for the hitters to be successful."

"Christian had a fine match with solid passing and smart hitting.  Darren and Nick showed some power with swings on the outside that bounced off defenders and landed far out of bounds."

"Because of the solid passing Anthony and Noah had opportunities to attack quick sets in front and in back.  As we go forward, we are going to want to keep improving our block and putting pressure on with the serve."

Up Next:
The Eagles will host Cairn next Wednesday. It will be the season opener for the Highlanders. Cairn won 11 matches last year and the program is in its 14th season.