ELMIRA, N.Y. -- The Elmira College men's volleyball team pushed rival Nazareth to the brink on Tuesday evening, but the Soaring Eagles came up just short, as the Golden Flyers earned a five-set victory on Pat Thompson '75 Court inside Speidel Gymnasium.
With the win, Nazareth improved to 7-11 overall, while Elmira moved to 5-12 on the season. The two United Volleyball Conference (UVC) members went back-and-forth throughout the match, as the two sides alternated victories leading up to the fifth and final frame. Nazareth managed to hit slightly better than the Purple and Gold, as the visitors swung at a .248 clip. EC mustered a .181 team attack percentage, but defensive miscues on serve receive situations loomed large, as the Soaring Eagles finished with 11 reception errors.
Offensively, EC was guided by
Eric Jackson '23 and
Matt Straney '20, who posted 12 kills apiece while hitting at an identical .286 mark. Rookie
Neiram Galán-Canales '23 was stellar as Elmira's lead setter with a career-best 40 assists. For Nazareth, a trio of players finished with double-digit kills, led by Antonio Sargent, who posted a match-best 18 kills.
After the Golden Flyers won the opening set, 25-18, the Soaring Eagles found their offensive groove and swung at a match-best rate of .353 to take the second stanza, 25-21. After Nazareth took a 16-15 lead, the Purple and Gold responded with three consecutive points, punctuated by a kill from
Luke Milligan '23, to seize an 18-13 advantage. The Golden Flyers battled back to tie the set at 20-20, but Elmira held firm as Jackson brought the set to a close.
Despite Elmira outhitting Nazareth .217 to .138 in the third set, the Golden Flyers snuck away with a 25-23 win. The Purple and Gold looked prime to run away with the fourth set as they opened with an 8-to-1 run that featured three blocks. Despite the early edge, Nazareth battled back to take a 15-14 lead. The visitors eventually forced a match-point opportunity at 25-24 following a kill from Joe Crosby. Elmira responded in turn, however, as
Declan Quinn '22 floored a kill to push EC ahead, 26-25. The Purple and Gold fended off one more match-point chance before Galán-Canales and Jackson combined to seal the 30-28 victory.
The back-and-forth continued to open the fifth set, as EC took a slim 4-3 advantage. Despite the Soaring Eagles' best efforts, Nazareth took the lead at 6-5 and never looked back to take the final stanza, 15-9.
News and Notes
- EC is now 2-1 in five-set matches this season.
- Elmira held the edge in digs, 31-24.
- Jackson posted double-digit kills for the third time as a rookie.
- Straney finished two kills shy of his season-high with 12.
- Straney tied his season-bests in blocks (6) and service aces (3).
- Galán-Canales registered a career-high 40 assists.
- Milligan finished with eight kills and a team-best six digs.
Up Next
The Soaring Eagles return to action on Friday, March 6, when they welcome Vassar to Speidel Gymnasium for a UVC tilt. Opening serve against the Brewers is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.
