ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa.- The #8 Juniata men's volleyball team split on the road at Elizabethtown, losing 3-2 (21-25, 25-16, 25-12, 20-25, 14-16) before winning the second 3-0 (25-19, 27-25, 25-16) Saturday afternoon inside Thompson Gymnasium.
The first set saw the Eagles trailing 1-5 early, but they managed to pull even quickly and, at 12-13, surge ahead. A kill from Kevin Duffy (Carlisle, Pa. / Carlisle HS), an error by the Blue Jays, an ace from Robert Bowling (Columbus, Ohio / Hilliard Darby) and a block by Reese Ganter (Reading, Pa. / Exeter Township HS) and Duffy made it 16-13 as Elizabethtown called timeout. Bowling followed with another ace out of the break, but it was all Blue Jays the rest of the way as they closed on a 12-3 run to take set one 20-25.
Juniata never trailed in the second as they slowly and methodically continued to increase their lead. With the score at 14-10, back-to-back Duffy kills preceded a Blue Jay timeout, with JC tacking on two more Bowling aces following the pause in the action. The Eagles cruised through the set, with a Duffy kill ending set two, 25-16.
The third set saw the Eagles push ahead early and never look back. With the score at 4-4, Max Cooley (Bethel Park, Pa. / Bethel Park H.S.) put down a kill before teaming up with Duffy for a block; Bowling notched a kill, and Cooley tallied another. The Blue Jays committed an attacking error, a JC service error stalled the run for a moment before two more Duffy kills, and Bowling's fifth ace of the match made it 12-5. Juniata eight of the final nine points of the set as they took set three in dominant fashion, 25-12.
Juniata trailed most of the fourth set, momentarily taking the lead at 11-10 on a Tyler Goldsborough (Reading, Pa. / Exeter Township HS) kill and for the last time on a service error at 14-13, but Elizabethtown took control and the Eagles couldn't bounce back as the Blue Jays took the fourth set, 20-25.
The final set was a back and forth affair, but it appeared Juniata held the upper hand. With the score at 11-11, a Bowling kill and an Etown attack error had JC two points from victory, but the Blue Jays scored the final four points of the match to win 13-15.
The second match saw Juniata dominate the first set as they hit .500 with 17 kills as they took the opener 25-19.
The second set started off looking like the Eagles would cruise through it as they went on a 6-1 run to start, but the Blue Jays quickly closed the gap, getting within one at 7-6. It was close for the set's duration, as Elizabethtown led for the last time at 20-21. Goldsborough put down a kill and followed with an ace; Etown took the next two points on an Eagle service error and an ace. Following a JC timeout, the teams traded four points, with an Etown kill making it 25-25. Duffy gave JC their third set point, and Goldsborough followed his own o ended the second set, 27-25.
The third set was tight early, with Elizabethtown scoring three straight to lead 13-15. JC had an immediate response, with a Duffy kill along with three in a row from Goldsborough. The Blue Jays called timeout, but Duffy notched another kill. An attack error by the Eagles made it 16-18, but JC rattled off seven straight points to end the match, with two Grant Crytzer (Freeport, Pa. / Freeport) aces ending the match, 25-16.
Duffy had a big day for the Eagles, tallying 34 kills across the two matches while hitting .640 to go with five block assists. His .708 hitting percentage in the second match was the third-best in a single match in program history. Goldsborough added 26 kills while hitting .477, seven aces, and 20 digs. Ganter put 90 assists (11.25 per set) and 18 digs across the two matches.
Juniata alumnus Matt Schaeffer '20 is now a graduate student-athlete at Elizabethtown, and he amassed 56 assists and 17 digs for the Blue Jays in the two matches.
Juniata will take on Southern Virginia next weekend. The first match will start at one.
