Match 1: Kean University 3, Elmira College 0 (16-25, 17-25, 23-25)
Match 2: Endicott College 3, Elmira College 1 (25-21, 18-25, 20-25, 19-25)
Records: Kean (2-0), Endicott (2-0), Elmira (0-2)
Location: Manning & Napier Varsity Gym – Rochester, N.Y.

ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- The Elmira College men's volleyball team opened the 2019 season with a pair of contests against some stiff competition in the form of No.4  Kean University and the Gulls of Endicott College. EC fought valiantly but eventually fell in both contests at the Cardinal Classic at St. John Fisher College.

Match 1
The Purple and Gold opened the evening with a stiff test against the No.4-ranked Cougars of Kean University. EC struggled to slow down the Cougars' attack, as Kean hit .367 as a team en route to a three-set win over the Soaring Eagles.

Elmira was led by Jose Malave '21, who finished with eight kills. Jeremy Best '19 finished with 17 assists. Kean's attack was buoyed by Dylan Flor and Jacob Milnazik, who finished with eight kills apiece.

The Cougars were able to run away with the opening two sets by nearly identical scores of 25-16, and 25-17. Elmira battled back in the third set, as the Purple and Gold pushed to send the match into a fourth set. After slipping behind by five early in the set, EC clawed back, pulling within two at 16-14, following a kill from Dan Symer '19. The teams went back-and-forth from there, with EC making it a 24-23 set following a massive block by Matt Straney '20 and Ryan McDonough '19. Kean responded on the very next play however, as Milnazik sealed the victory.

Match 2
In their second match of the evening, the Soaring Eagles challenged the reigning New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) champion Endicott. Elmira captured the opening set but the Purple and Gold were unable to fend off Endicott from there, as the Gulls came roaring back to take the match in four sets.

Malave and Ryan McDonough '19 stood out once again for EC, as they finished with 15 and 13 kills, respectively. Best racked up a game-high 40 assists, outdeuling Endicott's Jeremy Doski, who finished with 24 helpers.

Elmira controlled the opening set early, as the Purple and Gold used a 4-0 run, highlighted by an ace from Symer, to open an 11-4 lead.  Endicott pulled back within one at 18-17, but an offensive miscue, followed by a kill from McDonough reestablished a three-point cushion for Elmira. The Soaring Eagles held on from there, as McDonough floored a pass from Best to wrap up the set.

The second set saw the teams trade blows early, with back-to-back kills from Best and Landon Miller '20 leveling the score at 9-9. However, a 6-0 run by Endicott was the difference, as the Gulls jumped out to a 17-11 lead and never looked back.

EC slipped behind early in the penultimate set, as the Gulls forced the Purple and Gold into a timeout with the score at 13-8. EC pulled within four at 21-17, following a kill from Malave, but the Soaring Eagles never got closer than that, as Endicott held on to take the set, 25-20.

Endicott came out firing in the final set of the evening opening a 10-2 advantage over the Soaring Eagles. Elmira fought back into the set, as a 4-0 run that featured kills from McDonough and Garrett Coleman '20 cut the deficit to three.  Miller pulled the Soaring Eagles within two at 19-17 following a kill, Endicott was able to lean on its early lead to pick up the victory.

News and Notes

• EC held the edge in digs against Endicott, 27-18.
• Best finished the night with 57 assists.
• McDonough hit at a stellar .650 (13-of-20) clip against the Gulls.
• Freshman Alex Adelman '22 played in all seven sets.

Up Next
Due to inclement weather in the area, Saturday afternoon's match between the Soaring Eagles and Wentworth has been cancelled. The Purple and Gold will return to the court on Saturday, January 26, when they open the Arcadia Invitational against Ramapo. First serve is scheduled for 3:00 p.m.