LANGHORNE, Pa.– Eastern University Men's Volleyball used a late rally in the third set to earn a four set win over the host Cairn University Highlanders.
Symir Byrd finished with nine kills. Jared Barch had seven kills and seven blocks.
The Eagles (4-5) hit .381 with ten kills and three aces on the way to a comfortable 25-16 win in the opening set. In the second set, the Highlanders found consistency in their serves and rhythm in their serve receive, and the Eagles looked as uncomfortable in the second set as they looked comfortable in the first. Eastern hit just .040 and had six hitting errors against only seven kills.
Int he critical third set, the two teams traded sideouts early before Cairn scored on serve for a 19-16 lead and forced an Eastern timeout.
Barch delivered a kill to send
Chris Miller back to serve. After a Cairn hitting error
Connor Tucholski pounded out a huge kill to tie the set at 17. On the next point, the rookie right side teamed up with Barch for a block and a short-lived lead.
The hosts grabbed the lead with two quick points, but the Eagles equalized on a service error and built a 23-21 lead on a pair of Byrd kills.
Again Cairn rallied, and they had a set point at 24-23 and were on the attack after the Eagles needed to send over a free ball after a tough attack.
Chris Miller picked up a dig, but the ball caromed toward the back wall.
Max Bushong ran it down and Byrd helped it over for another Cairn attack. Barch and Byrd met the attack at the net and turned it away to tie the score.
Barch went back to serve and needed a quick reaction dig to keep the play alive. Byrd buried a kill from a tough angle to give the Eagles a set point. The Highlanders earned a sideout, but could not score.
Jeremiah Pha served out the set.
Up a set, the Eagles, overwhelmed Cairn with efficient offense and a big block in the fourth. Eastern hit .421with seven blocks on the way to a 25-14 win.
Miller had 22 assists and eight digs, and
Josiah Cash had eight kills and four blocks.
The Eagles will host Wilkes on Tuesday at 7 pm.
