ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- The Elmira College men's volleyball team fell in United Volleyball Conference (UVC) play on Wednesday evening, as the Soaring Eagles dropped a three-set affair against No. 9 nationally-ranked St. John Fisher College.
The Cardinals (15-4, 3-1 UVC) were deadly at the net and from behind the service line, as they supplemented a 33-kill outing with 12 aces. St. John Fisher's barrage was led by Josh Bigford and Martin Hackford, who finished with 11 and eight kills, respectively. Hackford was especially effective serving, as he posted a match-high eight aces.
Elmira (5-15, 1-4 UVC) struggled to create consistent offense as the Cardinals' service threw off the Purple and Gold's rhythm. When EC found success, sophomore
Declan Quinn '22 was the main catalyst with four kills.
Eric Jackson '23 and
Matt Straney '20 added three kills apiece.
Haenhyanonhna Powless '23 paced Elmira's defense with six digs.
The opening frame of the evening saw the Soaring Eagles push their conference foe throughout the set. An ace from
Tyler Anderson '23 knotted the score at 7-7 early in the stanza. St. John Fisher managed to open a 17-11 edge, but EC pulled back within three at 17-14. That was as close as the Purple and Gold got, however, as the Cardinals ran away with a 25-18 win.
St. John Fisher's offense continued to fluster the Soaring Eagles for the remainder of the match, as the Cardinals hit at .321 and .273 in the second and third sets, respectively. It was too much for EC to overcome, as St. John Fisher took the second set, 25-15, and the final frame, 25-8.
News and Notes
- Quinn led EC with four kills.
- Neiram Galán-Canales '23 tallied 11 assists.
- Galán-Canales registered double-digit assists for the fifth consecutive match.
- Powless' six digs marked a season-best.
Up Next
The Soaring Eagles return to Speidel Gymnasium next Friday, March 20, to open the Purple and Gold Classic against Elms. Opening serve is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.
