Match 1: Elmira College 3,   John Jay College 0 (25-23, 25-21, 25-23)
Match 2: Elmira College 3, Eastern Mennonite University 2 (25-17, 22-25, 26-28, 28-26, 15-12)
Records: Elmira (3-3), John Jay (4-2), EMU (0-4)
Location: Alumni Gymnasium – Glenside, Pa.

GLENSIDE, PA. -- The Elmira College men's volleyball team secured a pair of victories on the final day of the Arcadia Invitational, as the Soaring Eagles rolled to a straight-sets win over John Jay College before coming out on top in a five-set battle against Eastern Mennonite University.

Match 1
The Soaring Eagles streaked past John Jay on Sunday morning, picking up a straight-sets win over the Bulldogs. Elmira leaned on senior Ryan McDonough '19, who finished with a match-high 11 kills. Fellow senior, Jeremy Best '19 registered a match-best 26 assists. The Purple and Gold had a strong day at the service line with nine aces.

A 6-0 run from the Soaring Eagles broke open the first set, as Jose Malave '21 registered four aces to push EC ahead, 14-8. John Jay was able to cut Elmira's lead to one at 23-22, but Elmira regained its footing as Matt Straney '20 brought the set to a close with a kill at 25-23.

The second set was tighter early on, as the Bulldogs were able to sneak out to a 19-14 edge. Following a timeout, the Purple and Gold responded with a 4-0 run highlighted by a pair of kills from McDonough to pull within one. John Jay's advantage was short-lived, as EC rattled off six straight points to take the set.

The third and final set saw the Soaring Eagles grab an early lead over the Bulldogs. EC jumped ahead 7-2, taking advantage of a pair of miscues at the net by John Jay. The Purple and Gold rolled from there as they never relinquished their lead as Garrett Coleman '20 eventually floored the final kill to seal the victory.

 Match 2
After winning the first set against EMU, the Royals battled back to take two straight from the Purple and Gold to send the match to five sets. The Soaring Eagles showcased serious resiliency, as they rebounded to take the final two sets, 28-26, and 15-12.

Malave had a standout performance against EMU, as the second-year talent produced a match-high 26 kills. McDonough chipped in with 13 kills, while Straney added 10 kills to round out EC's double-digit attackers.  Best continued his stellar run to start the season, registering 49 assists.

After slipping behind early in the opening set, Elmira battled back and used a 6-0 run, fueled by three-straight aces from McDonough, to race out to a 17-12 lead. The Soaring Eagles held form from there as a 4-0 run behind the serving of Coleman pushed EC ahead 23-15. Straney wrapped up the set a few points later with a kill off of a feed from Best. 

Despite EC's best efforts, the feisty Royals would not go quietly. EMU came roaring back to take the second set, 25-22, before sneaking past Elmira in the third, 28-26. The Soaring Eagles responded in the fourth set, as they rediscovered their potent attack in a back-and-forth affair. McDonough broke a deadlock at 20-20 with a kill, but the Royls responded immediately. The teams continued to trade blows from there, but each side was able to respond when facing a match point. The Purple and Gold turned to Malave, who floored back-to-back kills to force the decisive fifth set.

EMU opened the final set with a 5-0 run that put Elmira in an early hole.  The Soaring Eagles slowly battled back, as a 4-0 run spurred on by kills from Malave and Best pushed Elmira ahead, 13-10. The opportunity to seal the match fell on the shoulders of McDonough, who made no mistake in putting the match away, as EC took the final set, 15-12.  

In his own words…
Head coach Daniel Miranda on the team's performance in Sunday's victories…
"I thought the team played extremely hard and found a way to work for one another and earn each point together today.  Jose and Ryan did a phenomenal job attacking today. It's a credit to the constant efforts both Matt [Straney] and Landon Miller '20 put in at the net throughout the day, combined with Jeremy's phenomenal decision making. Picking up two wins today is a great confidence builder and really sheds some light on what we do well and where we need to grow moving forward."

News and Notes

• Elmira went 3-1 at the Arcadia Invitational.
• McDonough and Malave were named to the All-Tournament Team
• EC tied its season-high with 15 service aces against EMU.
• The Soaring Eagles held the edge in digs against John Jay (35-26) and EMU (36-31)
• Elmira ranks first in the United Volleyball Conference (UVC) with 50 kills on the season.
• Malave's 26 kills against the Royals were a career-high.
• Malave ranks third in the UVC with 3.48 kills per set.
• Ryan Branigan'19 finished the day with 30 digs, as the senior paced EC in both matches.
• Freshmen Owen Rose '22 and Alec Roy '22 made their collegiate debuts against John Jay.

Up Next
The Soaring Eagles are back in action on Tuesday, January 29, when they trek to Buffalo, New York, to challenge Daeman College. First serve against the Wildcats is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.