Score: St. John Fisher College 3, Elmira College 2 (22-25, 17-25, 25-17, 25-23, 20-18)
Records: Fisher (13-14), Elmira (19-10)
Location: Elmira, N.Y. -- Speidel Gymnasium
 
ELMIRA, N.Y. -- The Elmira College men's volleyball team suffered a heart-breaking 3-2 setback to St. John Fisher College in EC's final home game of the 2018 regular season. The Cardinals executed an incredible two-set-to-none comeback to steal a win at Speidel Gymnasium.

The contest was decided in the fourth and fifth sets, as both teams had chances to take the win. Up two-sets-to-one in the fourth, Elmira looked primed to take the non-conference bout after a 4-0 gave them a 22-20 advantage. This momentum was short-lived, however, as Fisher went on a 4-0 push of its own to retake the lead, 24-22. A kill by Matthew Buffum '18 ended the streak, but just one point later, the Cardinals sealed the 25-23 set victory on a Jose Malave '21 service error.

With the contest going to a fifth frame, both teams showed what this match meant to them by playing with an extraordinary intensity. The Soaring Eagles again started off strong, taking a 10-6 advantage with a 4-0 mid-set run. The push was capped off by a dual-block by Landon Miller '20 and Ryan McDonough '19.

As they had done all match, the Cardinals would not go away, as a 5-2 push cut EC's advantage to just one, 12-11. Another 3-1 mini-run gave the visitors the late lead, 14-13. Elmira answered by taking the next two points to serve with match point. In fact, the Soaring Eagles served four times on match point in the fifth, all of which were sided out by Fisher. The thrilling match came to a close with a 3-0 surge by Fisher to close the fifth set, 20-18, and the match, 3-2.

Elmira's performance in the final two sets was very different than how it started. EC started the contest with a pair of convincing wins in the first two frames. The Soaring Eagles began the contest with a .200 hitting percentage to take a 25-22 win in the first, before upping their clip to a whopping .370 in the second to take a 25-17 victory.

Unfortunately for the Purple and Gold, their attack percentage would begin to fall in the later sets. EC ended the night with a .194 hitting percentage, just edging Fisher's .166. Where the Cardinals flew by the Soaring Eagles was in service aces, as they tallied eight to Elmira's one.

Both McDonough and Buffum finished the contest tied for the team lead with 11 kills. Buffum also added five blocks to round out his final home match as a Soaring Eagle. Jeremy Best '19 tallied 43 assists in the bout, his fifth match of the last six with 40-plus assists. Colin Morrison '19 and Malave both tallied double-digit digs, as Morrison finished with 13 and Malave recorded 12.
 
News and Notes

• The Soaring Eagles fall to 19-10 overall this season.
• EC and Fisher are now tied in the all-time series, as both teams have beaten each other once.
• The setback drops Elmira to 8-4 in five-set contests this year.
• The Soaring Eagles have been held to just one ace this season just three times.
• Fisher's eight aces today are the second most EC has allowed in 2018.
• Best has logged 40-plus assists in five of the last six tilts.
• McDonough has floored 10-plus kills in eight consecutive matches.
• Buffum has hit above .300 in six of the last seven bouts.
• Morrison has tallied double-digit digs five times this season, but before tonight he had not done so since Elmira's 3-2 victory over No. 5 Dominican University (Ill.) on February 2.
• Freshman Joseph Amoddio '21 tied a season high with two sets played to go along with two kills.

 
Up Next
Elmira will not have time to dwell on tonight's defeat, as it heads to Buffalo, New York, tomorrow to take part in the SUNY Poly Invitational. The Soaring Eagles kick off the event with a 12:00 p.m. bout against the host Wildcats, before closing out the regular season with a 2:00 p.m. tilt against Wilson College.