ST. DAVIDS, Pa.– Eastern University Men's Volleyball dropped a pair of matches in the team's final home date of the year. The Eagles rallied to force a fifth set with Misericordia, but fell 15-13 in the fifth to fall just short. The Messiah University Falcons swept both Eastern and Misericordia in the first two matches of the day.
In the nightcap against Misericordia, the Eagles (7-11,3-7) started very slowly. With only seven kills in the opening set, the Eagles fell 25-14. The Cougars (14-15, 5-6) led early in the second, but a three-point run with
Justin Flor serving flipped the Eagles into the lead in the set. Misericordia briefly tied the set at 16 before a Cougar service error and two
Foster Lobb kills put the Eagles in command. Led by Flor's seven terminations, Eastern had 17 kills and hit .282 to win 25-22.
Misericordia pulled out a 25-22 win in the third and several times looked poised to pull away in the fourth. The Eagles fought back from an 8-3 deficit to pull within a point and erased a 19-15 deficit to tie the set at 21. The Eagles fought off four match points and were tied 27-27 when
Ben Sierer stepped back to the service line. Sierer's first serve floated short for an ace. Lobb and
Andres Suarez combined on a huge double block to give the Eagles a 29-27 win and force the fifth set.
Misericordia jumped to a 9-6 lead in the fifth, but Lobb pounded a huge kill for a sideout and then brought the team to within a point on a massive solo block.
Nick Storz tied the game with an ace, but the Cougars regained the edge with sideout and a block to lead 11-9.
The Eagles tied the score at 12 and again at 13, but after a sideout the Cougars converted their fifth match point on a double block to pick up the important MAC win.
Flor and Lobb each had 16 kills and
Lucas Adam added ten. Storz finished with 37 assists and
Trey Miller had a team-high ten digs.
"After our slow start," Head Coach
Randy Syracuse said. "We discussed some of the issues. We knew we had the ability to fix many of those issues. We also tweaked the lineup a little and the guys responded. The 5th set has become the "heartbreak set" for us this year. It was a battle right to the very end before Misericordia got blocks on the final two points to get the win. Justin was nearly flawless attacking, and
Foster Lobb again played some of the best volleyball of his career to push Misericordia to the brink. We would have loved for Foster and Trey to win in their final home matches."
The Eagles were unable to slow the league-leading Falcons in the first two sets of the opening match. Eastern built an 18-14 lead in the third set and had the set tied at 23-23, but Messiah all-American Mason Nissley put away an out-of-system kill and puttee Eagles on their heels with another impressive swing to finish the match. Nissley led the Falcons with 14 kills.
Flor had nine kills and Lobb six.
Chris Miller and Storz split setting duties against the Falcons.
"Against Messiah we got to see the top level of DIII right in our building," Syracuse continued. "They have a great combination of size and power coupled with experience and ball control. In my opinion they are the clear favorite at the top of a very good conference. I was very proud we were able to push them in the third set before a couple real smart plays by Nissley gave them the sweep."
The Eagles are at Alvernia on Wednesday evening.
