ST. DAVIDS, Pa.– The match needed a dramatic finish, but Eastern University Men's Volleyball secured the first winning season in program history with a three-set win over the visiting Hood College Blazers. Kaodi Wokocha hit .417 with 12 kills to lead a balanced Eastern attack.

Up two sets, the Eagles (15-9, 2-2) trailed 24-21 after Hood outside hitter Charles Casas put the Blazers in the lead with a big serving run. The Eagles fought off the first set point with a service error, and Symir Byrd served for two points to tie the match. The Blazers earned an additional set point with a sideout on a back-row attack from Casas, but Wokacha provided another answer with a kill after a solid serve-reception.

The Eagles earned a match point on an attack error, but a missed serve left the match tied at 26. The Blazers earned yet another set point when the Eagles could not convert out of system, but Wokocha again delivered for another sideout. Connor Tucholski served for the final two points to secure the win. Ronan Landis and Josiah Cash combined for a big block to end the match at 29-27..

The Eagles hit .419 as a team in the final set, but eight service errors and three receiving errors enabled the Blazers to play point for point with the otherwise efficient Eagles. Hood hit .194 with 13 kills in the third.

Eastern dominated the opening set. Wokocha and Tucholski each had four kills as the Eagles hit .423 en route to a 25-16 opening set win. Eastern was successful on 14-of-17 sideout chances in the set.

The Blazers (4-17, 0-4) tightened things up in the second set, and the Eastern offense struggled. The Eagles won the set despite hitting only .034 with eight kills. Byrd, Tucholski, Josh Hrabosky, and Landis each had aces, and the Blazers missed on seven serves. Hood was within two points at 21-19, but the Eagles scored four of the final six points to win 25-21.

The Eagles will not have long to celebrate. They will host the Middle Atlantic Conference-leading Stevens Institute of Technology Ducks tomorrow night at 7:00. The sixth-ranked Ducks broke a tie at the top of the league with a four-set win at Messiah this evening. They recently lost in five sets to top-ranked NYU.