Score: Marian University 3, Elmira College 1 (25-22, 26-24, 31-33, 25-21)
Score: No. 12 Marymount University 3, Elmira College 0 (25-19, 25-21, 25-15)
Record: Elmira (1-5), Marian (1-1), Marymount (5-1)
Location: Arlington, Virginia - Verizon Sports Arena

ARLINGTON, Va. -- The Elmira College men's volleyball team was swept by Marian (Wisc.) University and No. 12-ranked Marymount University in a non-conference tri-match, hosted by the Saints, at the Verizon Sports Arena on Friday night.

In the first match of the day, the Soaring Eagles were defeated in four sets by the Sabres of Marian despite a strong offensive showing to in the first set and forcing extra points in the middle sets. In the opening set, the Elmira offense produced a team attack percentage of .440 (12k-1e-25a), the highest of the match for either team, but came up short, 25-21.

Down two-sets-to-none, the Purple and Gold rallied in a thrilling third set to force extra points before securing a 33-31 win. Tied at 9-all, EC won four of the next five points with kills, two of which came from Mark Kawecki '17. The three-point advantage didn't last long, however, as the Sabres responded with a 5-0 run to climb ahead, 18-16. The two teams traded points from there, evening the set several times. In extras, the Soaring Eagles saved the set on three occasions with kills from Dan Symer '19, Ryan McDonough '18, and Matthew Buffum '18. Down 30-29, the Purple and Gold closed the set with four of the next five points, including an assisted block from Symer and Buffum and a Kawecki kill, to capture the third.

The Soaring Eagles looked to send the match to a fifth set by grabbing a lead as large as three points in the third, the last of which came at 18-15 following an assisted block by Straney and McDonough. Once again, the Sabres would go on a run of their own and all but sealed the victory with a decisive 8-1 spurt.

In the nightcap, a rematch of the 2017 season opener at Speidel Gymnasium, EC was handed a straight-sets loss by the high-powered Marymount offense, which tallied a whopping .400 attack percentage in the match. In the first set alone, the 12th-ranked Saints set the tempo with a .571 percentage on a 13k-1e-21a line. On the other hand, the Elmira men produced a season-low .118 attack percentage.

Inside the Box (Marian)

• The Soaring Eagles finished with a respectable .231 hitting percentage with 50 kills and 22 errors.
• The Sabres outpaced Elmira with a .262 clip with 58 kills and 25 errors.
• Marian finished the contest with an advantage in digs, 45-38.
• Elmira had match highs in aces, 6-to-2, and total blocks, 9-to-7.
• McDonough and Kawecki paced the Soaring Eagles with 14 kills apiece, followed by Buffum with 13.
• Symer record a match high with five total blocks.
• Jeremy Best '19 had 44 assists and a team-leading three aces.
• McDonough and Ryan Branigan '19 each had eight digs to lead Elmira.
• EC's Achilles heel was a season-worst 22 service errors.
• Aaron Wendels posted a game-high 23 kills and hit at a .364 rate for the Sabres.
• Jon Smallpage also had a big night offensively with 16 kills.
• Marian's Cullen Liberski paced all players with 19 digs.

Inside the Box (Marymount)

• The Saints owned a dominant advantage in hitting percentage, as they attacked at a .400 clip, while EC recorded a mere .118 percentage.
• Elmira held a slight advantage in digs, 23-19.
• Marymount, however, led in nearly every other category, including aces (8-to-1), blocks (8-to-3), and assists (31-to-24).
• Buffum led Elmira with seven kills and a .500 attack percentage
• Best recorded 22 assists on Elmira's 26 kills and led the team with six digs.
• Marymount's James Safley tallied a game-high 11 kills and committed no errors on 15 attempts, resulting in an impressive .733 percentage.
• Tomasz Ksiazkiewicz led all players with six blocks.
• Erich Bratke logged a match-high 28 assists for the Saints.

News and Notes

• Elmira's record falls 1-5 on the season.
• EC is 1-2 against nationally-ranked teams in 2017.
• Buffum's 13 kills versus Marian tied his previous season high, as did his four total blocks.
• Buffum's attack percentage against Marymount marks the second time this season he has hit .500 or higher.
• Kawecki's 14 kills in the loss to the Sabres are one shy of his season high.
• Kawecki has posted double-digit kills on three occasions this season.
• McDonough produced season highs with 14 kills and three total blocks against Marian.
• Best finished one shy of tying his season high with 44 assists in the first match with the Sabres.
• As a team, EC had a season-high nine total blocks against Marian and committed a season-low two receiving errors.

Up Next
Elmira travels to Owings Mills, Maryland, to participate in the Stevenson Invitational on Saturday, January 28th. The first match against Southern Virginia University is scheduled to begin at 2:00 p.m., followed by a 6:00 p.m. bout with No. 12-ranked Stevenson University.