Score: Elmira College 3, Bard College 0 (25-11, 25-14, 25-17)
Records: Elmira (7-9, 1-2 UVC), Bard (1-7, 0-4 UVC)
Location: Stevenson Athletic Center – Annandale-On-Hudson, N.Y.

ANNANDALE-ON-HUDSON, N.Y. -- The Elmira College men's volleyball team raced past United Volleyball Conference (UVC) foe Bard College on Friday evening, as the Soaring Eagles earned a straight-sets victory on the road.

Elmira's offense was humming all night, as the Purple and Gold amassed a season-best .347 team-hitting percentage against the Raptors. Ryan McDonough '19 and Matt Straney '20 led the way for EC with 10 kills apiece. Senior Jeremy Best '19 made history against Bard, as the Wexford, Pennsylvania native became just the second player in program history to record 3,000 career assists.

The Purple and Gold were downright deadly at the service line, tallying 16 aces. McDonough paced Elmira with six service aces. Bard struggled at the net, as the Raptors mustered a lowly .056 hitting percentage. Tristan Kozul led the home side with 10 kills.

The opening set of the evening set the tone for the rest of the match as the Soaring Eagles jumped all over their conference foe. A 7-0 run by the Purple and Gold that featured three-straight aces from Landon Miller '20, placed the set firmly in EC's favor with the score at 14-4. Elmira cruised from there, taking the opener, 25-11.

A 4-0 run early in the second set pushed the Purple and Gold ahead 9-2, as Miller and Straney combined for a trio of kills. A 6-0 run highlighted by four kills from Straney broke the set wide-open, as EC opened a 13-point advantage. Matt Amoddio '22 brought the set to a close with an ace at 25-14.

The final set of the evening was a  close affair early, but Bard was unable to contain the Soaring Eagles for long, as a 5-0 run capped by a kill from rookie Declan Quinn '22 made it 18-7. Elmira rolled on from there, as McDonough floored a feed from Alec Roy '22 to wrap up the set, 25-17.

In his own words..
Head coach Daniel Miranda on the team's performance against the Raptors...
"The guys were hungry for a win tonight and they wanted to get into rhythm in conference play. This win is a huge confidence builder as we've worked out different lineups following some injuries. The team is feeling more unified than ever heading into tomorrow's big match against New Paltz."

Miranda shares his thought's on Best's milestone...
"Jeremy reaching 3,000 assists is a huge accomplishment for him and our program. It is a major credit to his efforts over the last four years. His knowledge, persistent efforts for improvement and drive to  win have continued to raise our standards as a program."

News and Notes

• Elmira's .347 attack percentage and 16 service aces are both season highs.
• McDonough's six aces are a season best, and is .500 attack percentage is his second-highest of the year.
• Straney floored 10 kills against Bard, equaling his single-match season-high.
• In his third appearance as a freshman, Amoddio recorded a season-best seven kills and two aces.
• Fellow rookies Owen Rose '22 and Roy also compiled season highs in assists with nine and six, respectively.
• Best led the Soaring Eagles with 18 assists, while becoming just the second player in program history to eclipse 3,000 career assists.
• Senior defensive specialist Joe Hewes '19 recorded his second career kill on Friday night.