Score: #13 Elmira 3, #7 UC Santa Cruz 0 [25-19, 26-24, 25-16]
Score: #13 Elmira 3, Cal Lutheran 2 [25-21, 27-29, 25-18, 21-25, 15-11]
Records: Elmira (11-4), UC Santa Cruz (11-4), Cal Lutheran (3-13)
Location: Gilbert Sports and Fitness Center – Thousand Oaks, CA
 
Thousand Oaks, CA -- After turning in a strong opening performance last night against Benedictine University at Mesa last night, the 13^th-ranked Elmira College men's volleyball team turned in an impressive pair of performances against No. 7 University of California at Santa Cruz and California Lutheran University to complete the sweep of its West Coast swing.
 
Elmira put together its strongest performance of the season in the opening match of the day when the Soaring Eagles secured their second win over nationally ranked team this season. The Soaring Eagles dominated No. 7 University of California at Santa Cruz, winning in straight sets [25-19, 26-24, 25-16].
 
The Soaring Eagles got off a fantastic start in the match, hitting .423 in the opening set. After a back and forth middle frame, which saw the Banana Slugs force the set into extra points, the Purple and Gold held on for a 26-24 set win to take a commanding two-sets-to-none lead.
 
EC put together one of its strongest sets of the season to close out the match in the third. The Soaring Eagles hit .625 in the final frame, not committing a single error in 24 total attacks, to run away with the decisive set. Erik Griffin '16 posted 20 kills (.654) on 26 total attacks, while he notched the double-double with a team-high 11 digs.
 
Elmira continued its strong play in the second match of the day against tournament-host California Lutheran University.
 
The Soaring Eagles and Kingsmen opened the match with a tight first set. Both teams traded points throughout the opening frame; however, EC took control of the frame with a 10-4 run to close out the set in favor of the visitors. Griffin and rookie outside hitter Dan Symer '19 each posted a pair of kills over the final run, with Griffin closing out the set with a thunderous kill up the line.
 
The competitive match continued in the second set, where Cal Lutheran would even things at 1-1. EC again snagged a lead late in the set, rattling off a 6-2 run to take a 21-17 lead in the frame. The Kingsmen battled back down the stretch, forcing the game into extra points. The hosts eventually were able to string two points together in a 29-27 set win.
 
Elmira rallied with a great third set to take control of the match. The Soaring Eagles led by two for the majority of the set, but pulled away with six straight points to close out the frame. Mark Kawecki '17 and Griffin each posted six kills in the set to pace the Purple and Gold attack.
 
As has been the case often through the early part of this season, Elmira would have the match go the distance, as the feisty Kingsmen bounced back to steal the fourth set 25-21. A four-point run with the set tied at 17-all proved to be the difference.
 
Elmira turned to last year's AVCA Second Team All-American down the stretch. Griffin posted nine of his match-high 32 kills in the decisive fifth set to lead Elmira to an impressive sweep of its West Coast swing.

Inside the Box Score (UC Santa Cruz)

• Elmira hit .388 for the contest, including a scintillating .625 in the decisive third set.
• Elmira finished with five service aces.
• EC finished with five solo blocks.
• Griffin posted a second straight strong outing in his return from a three-week absence, posting 20 kills and a .654 hitting percentage.
• Carlos Faccio '16 also had a strong day as a distributor for the EC attack. He finished with 45 assists and a kill on his lone attack.
• Mike Ellison '16 was Elmira's other double-digit attacker, finishing with 11 kills, while also adding five digs.

 
Inside the Box Score (Cal Lutheran)

• Elmira narrowly outhit Cal Lutheran .288-to-.220 in the match.
• The Soaring Eagles held a decisive 71-to-52 edge in kills.
• EC led 7-to-4 in service aces.
• Elmira held a 47-to-33 edge in digs.
• Cal Lutheran held a slight 12.0-to-10.0 edge in total blocks.
• Griffin led all players with 32 kills on a .393 hitting percentage. He also tied for a match-high with three service aces.
• Ellison posted a second double-digit kill outing with 12 kills, while he tied Griffin for a team-high with nine digs.
• Faccio finished with a season-high 68 assists. That mark set a new single-match program record for an individual.

 
News and Notes

• With the victory over UC Santa Cruz, Elmira is now 2-1 against teams that were nationally ranked at the time of the match.
• EC is now 4-1 in five all-time matches against the Banana Slugs.
• It is the first sweep over a nationally-ranked team since besting then-13^th-ranked Massachusetts Institute of Technology in straight-sets in a road tri-match at Vassar last season.
• Griffin has now posted three 20-plus kill outings on the year after posting 20-plus in both matches today.
• Elmira's .388 hitting percentage in the opening match against UC Santa Cruz was EC's second-highest mark of the season.
• Elmira's match with Cal Lutheran went the full distance. It is seventh time already this season in which the Soaring Eagles have gone five sets with an opponent. The program high for five-set matches in a season is 10, set during the 2012 campaign.
• Elmira is now 5-2 in five-set matches this season and 22-19 overall in five-setters all-time.
• Elmira finished with a season-high 71 kills and 69 assists in the match against Cal Lutheran. The 69 assists set a new single-game program record.
• Faccio finished with a new program record for single-match assists with 68.

 
Up Next
The Soaring Eagles are slated to return to action on Wednesday, February 24^th, when they travel to Penn State Behrend at 7:00 p.m.