Score: Rivier College 3 – Elmira College 0
Score: Elmira College 3 – Arcadia University 2
Records: Elmira (6-15), Rivier (8-5), Arcadia (8-9)
Location: Wildcat Field House – Marcy, N.Y.
 
MARCY, N.Y. -- After opening the first day of the SUNY Poly Invitational with a win last night, the Elmira College men's volleyball team wrapped up action at the Wildcat Field House by splitting matches with Rivier College and Arcadia University. EC dropped today's opener to the Raiders of Rivier in straight sets (25-20, 25-17, 25-21), before edging Arcadia in the nightcap in a five-set thriller (22-25, 25-22, 29-27, 22-25, 15-8).
 
Rivier's defense in today's first contest with the difference, as the Raiders finished the match with 40 digs and 9.0 blocks. The stingy defense forced Elmira to hit .140 from the floor, EC's lowest attack percentage of the two-day invite.
 
Junior Ryan McDonough '18 led the Soaring Eagles with 11 kills, his fourth double-digit kill effort in the last five contests. Outside of McDonough, no other Soaring Eagle finished the match with double figures. Mark Kawecki '17 and Garrett Coleman '20 logged four kills apiece, while Dan Symer '19 and Matthew Buffum '18 chipped in with three kills apiece.
 
EC's second and final match of the invite was an exciting one, as the Purple and Gold eked out a nail-biting five-setter against Arcadia. The Knights claimed the opening set, 25-22, but the Soaring Eagles bounced back to win both the second and third sets by scores of 25-22 and 29-27.  Although Elmira would have preferred to end things in four sets, the Knights would not go away quietly, as Arcadia prevailed in the fourth, 25-22.
 
With the match on the line, Elmira regrouped and pieced together a dominant fifth set, topping the Knights 15-8 to clinch the five-set victory.
 
Just like in EC's opening match, the defense would dictate today's outcome. Elmira produced a season-high 73 digs, as well as the team's second-highest single-match block total with 12.0 rejections.
 
Fueling Elmira's defensive efforts was starting libero Ryan Branigan '19, who amassed a career-high 21 digs. Branigan was one of three Soaring Eagles with 10-or-more digs; joining him were McDonough and Kawecki, who finished with career highs of 17 and 16 digs, respectively.
 
Five different players finished with blocks in the nightcap, led by sophomore setter Jeremy Best '19 and his career-high six rejections; Best also finished the match with 44 assists. Matt Straney '20 and Buffum each produced five blocks apiece, while McDonough and Symer added three and two blocks, respectively.
 
Offensively, McDonough, Kawecki and Symer all finished with double-digit kills. McDonough registered a match-high 18 kills, while Kawecki and Symer added 12 and 11, respectively. Buffum was just two kills shy of double figures with eight put-aways.
 
Inside the Box Score (Rivier)

• Elmira hit .140 for the match on a 27k-15e-86ta stat line.
• Rivier registered a .352 attack percentage on a 34k-9e-71ta stat line.
• Elmira produced seven service aces, while Rivier logged five.
• Blocks were in favor of Rivier, 9-to-2.
• Rivier assisted on 33 of its 34 kills, while EC assisted on 24 of its 27.
• Digs finished heavily in favor of Rivier, 40-to-28.
• McDonough paced the Purple and Gold with a team-high 11 kills.
• Best finished with 24 assists and five digs.
• Symer logged six digs and a team-high two service aces.
• Branigan led EC with eight kills.

 
Inside the Box Score (Arcadia)

• Elmira recorded a .206 attack percentage (55k-22e-160ta).
• EC finished with eight service aces, while Arcadia logged five.
• Blocks were also in favor of the Soaring Eagles, 12-to-10.
• Elmira assisted on 47 of its 55 kills, while Arcadia assisted on 42 of its 49.
• Digs were heavily in favor of the Purple and Gold, 73-to-38.
• Three Soaring Eagles finished with double-digit kills.
• McDonough produced a double-double with a match-high 18 kills and 17 digs.
• Kawecki also finished with a double-double on 12 kills and 16 digs.
• Symer was one dig away from a double-double with 11 kills and nine digs.
• Symer registered a match-high three service aces.
• Branigan made 21 digs, a match high for the second-year libero.
• Best ended the contest with 44 assists and a team-high six blocks.
• Straney and Buffum each finished with five blocks.

 
News and Notes

• Elmira concluded action at the SUNY Poly Invitational with a 2-1 record.
• Elmira earned wins over Wilkes and Arcadia at the invite.
• EC picked up its second five-set win of the season and its first since a January 20th victory over Rutgers-Newark.
• Elmira's 73 digs against Arcadia were a season high and the most since the team amassed a record-setting 83 digs against Baruch in 2013.
• The 12.0 blocks against the Knights was EC's second-highest single-match total of the season.
• Best's six blocks against Arcadia was a career high.
• Best has six matches this season with 40-plus assists.
• Branigan produced a career-high 21 digs against Arcadia.
• McDonough and Kawecki each logged career-high dig totals with 17 and 16, respectively.
• McDonough recorded his fourth double-double of the 2017 campaign.
• Kawecki registered his second double-double of the season.

 
Up Next
Elmira returns to action this Wednesday, March 1, when the Purple and Gold travel to face Keuka College in non-conference action. The opening serve is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. in Keuka Park, New York.