Match One: Messiah 3, Elmira 0 [25-14, 25-22, 25-12]
Match Two: Elmira 3, Misericordia 2 [20-25, 25-19, 25-18, 22-25, 15-13]
Records: Elmira (13-18), Messiah (19-10), Misericordia (20-15)
Location: Anderson Center – Dallas, Pa.
DALLAS, Pa. -- The Elmira College men's volleyball team split a pair of contests at the Misericordia University Tri-Match to wrap up the 2019 season on Saturday afternoon. The Soaring Eagles fell to Messiah in their opening match of the day before picking up a five-set victory over host Misericordia in their final match of the campaign.
Match One
Elmira struggled to find its rhythm offensively, hitting at a six-percent clip (26k-21e-83ta), as the Falcons of Messiah marched away with a comfortable three-set win. EC was held to just 14 and 12 points in the first and third sets, but did however push the Falcons the second frame, 25-22.
Landon Miller '20 had a solid afternoon for the Soaring Eagles, as he connected on 35.7 percent of his attempts. Miller finished the contest with a team-high eight kills, as well as one solo blocks.
Dan Symer '19 was not far off of Miller's pace, as he recorded seven kills and tied for the team lead in digs with five. Seniors
Ryan McDonough '19 and
Colin Morrison '19 matched Symer's mark in digs, as they also produced five apiece.
Match Two
The Soaring Eagles bounced back in their second match of the day, coming out on top in a hard-fought five-set battle against host Misericordia.
McDonough posted a massive double-double in the final match of his collegiate career, as the senior standout posted 23 kills and 10 digs. Coleman and Miller rounded out the Purple and Gold's attack against the Cougars with 11 and 10 kills, respectively.
Jeremy Best '19 posted a match-high 53 assists as he orchestrated EC's high-powered offfense.
After dropping the opening set, EC came roaring back to win the next two frames. The second set was back-and-forth early, but a late 5-0 run from the Soaring Eagles made the difference.
Joseph Amoddio '21 and McDonough highlighted the barrage with huge block that pushed Elmira ahead, 23-18. A pair of Misericordia miscues sealed the set for the Purple and Gold at 25-19.
Elmira's offense came alive in the third set, as the Soaring Eagles hit at a 50.0-percent clip. The Soaring Eagles jumped out an early lead, as a kill from Best made it 10-7. Misericordia responded with five consecutive points, to squeak ahead of EC. Despite the Cougars' run, the Purple and Gold swung the momentum immediately, as Coleman sparked a 6-0 run with a pair of kills. Elmira never looked back from there, taking the final five points of the stanza to take a two-sets-to-one lead.
Misericordia did not go quietly, as the Cougars won a tightly contested fourth set to send the match to a forced a decisive fifth set. Neither side gave an inch in the final frame, but EC forged ahead to a 14-11 lead following a kill from Miller. Facing match-point, Misericordia pulled back within one, but McDonough floored one final kill to seal the victory.
News and Notes
- Best, Branigan, Hewes, McDonough, Morrison and Symer concluded their collegiate careers this evening.
- McDonough became the fifth player in program history to produce 400 kills in a season (403).
- McDonough's 54 aces are third-most in EC single-season history.
- McDonough finished the season with the fifth-most digs in EC's single-season history.
- McDonough produced his 22nd match with double-digit kills this season, a mark that is tied for fifth in program history.
- McDonough's 23 kills were a career high.
- McDonough produced 20-plus kills in three matches this season.
- McDonough finished his collegiate career ranked third all-time in career kills (1,197).
- Best became the fifth player in EC history to finish a season with 1,100 assists (1,102).
- Branigan ends his career ranked second all-time in EC history in digs (756).
- Coleman produced his ninth double-digit kill effort of the season.
- Best finished with 50-plus assists for the fifth time this season.
- Miller logged his fourth double-digit kill performance of the season.
