While the Elizabethtown College men's volleyball may only have gone 1-3 this weekend at Misericordia's Cougars Kickoff Classic, Nick Baxter was one of the bright spots after being named to the All-Tournament Team and breaking the Continental Volleyball Conference's single-match kills record in the team's first game Saturday against Trine.
Elizabethtown (3-4) was handed a straight-set loss to the hosts in their opening game on Friday. Baxter had 12 kills, Tim Zieber posted 21 assists, and Joey Nelson had a team-best 11 digs for the Blue Jays in the loss to the Cougars.
Baxter and Ethan Maurer combined for 15 of E-town's 20 kills Friday night against Mount Union, another 3-0 loss, as the Raiders limited the Jays' attack. Zieber had 14 helpers and Nelson recorded another 11 digs against the Raiders.
Trine took the first set Saturday afternoon, 25-23, but Elizabethtown was evened out the match at 1-1 with a second-set victory, 25-22. The teams traded sets and needed a fifth to decide the 1 p.m. winner. Trine was up 4-1 early, but Mark Hall and Baxter combined on a block. An attacking error on Luke Maier had the Jays within a point at 4-3.
Down 8-4, Alex Hinsey called for a timeout, and out of it, E-town used it to their advantage to get back into it. They scored six of the next seven points and, on Maurer's kill, took the lead for the first time in the set, 10-9. Trine tied it 10-10, but another kill by Maurer put the Blue Jays back in front for good. Baxter put Trine on the ropes after his 37th kill of the match to make it 14-12. A service error gave Trine a chance, but one of their own ended the fifth set and gave Elizabethtown the 3-2 win.
Baxter, with his 37 kills, is now the Continental Volleyball Conference's single-match all-time leader (for five sets) after breaking Quinn Peterson's record of 33 from April 22, 2017 for Juniata.
The Blue Jays lost their final game of the tournament, 3-0, to Sage. Hall, Baxter, Maurer, Steven Schreffler, and Orion Lage each had kills for Elizabethtown. Kyle Murray combined for three blocks to lead the Jays defensively.
The men's volleyball team will make up their match with Alvernia from last week on Thursday, February 7, at 7 p.m. on the road.
STORY COURTESY OF ELIZABETHTOWN COLLEGE SPORTS INFORMATION