BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The Elmira College men's volleyball team ended the 2021 season on a high note with a pair of four-set victories over Division II D'Youville College on Saturday afternoon.

The Soaring Eagles (2-15) produced their best offensive numbers of the spring against the Saints (3-5), who are in their first year as a D-II program and a member of the NCAA's National Collegiate division. In the first match, EC amassed a season-best .337 attack percentage with 42 kills. In the second contest, the Soaring Eagles floored a season-high 45 kills while hitting .277, their second-best percentage in 2021.

Elmira 3, D'Youville 1 (25-21, 24-26, 25-12, 25-18)
After the Saints won the second set in a close 26-24 battle, the Soaring Eagles rolled D'Youville for a 25-12 victory to pull ahead two-sets-to-one. Elmira was nearly unstoppable in the third set, hitting .667 with 14 kills and siding out at a 91% clip. Outside hitter Eric Jackson '23 did the bulk of the damage with six of his eight swings landing for kills. With the set tied 4-4, a D'Youville service error, an ace from Oscar Muñoz Trinidad '23, and consecutive kills from Jackson gave EC the lead for good.

Jackson finished with a match-high 13 kills, six digs, and two aces. Muñoz Trinidad had 11 kills, four digs, three aces, and one block. Jordan Peiser '24 nearly recorded a double-double with nine kills and a match-high 11 digs.

Elmira 3, D'Youville 1 (25-21, 25-15, 21-25, 25-22)
The Purple and Gold concluded the doubleheader with another four-set win. Elmira outperformed the Saints in nearly every category, as the Soaring Eagles had more kills (45-to-33), aces (8-to-5), blocks (6-to-3), digs (35-31), and assists (43-to-30).

Already up 1-0 in the match, EC cruised to a 25-15 win in the second set to take control of the bout. Elmira won the first three points and seven of the first eight, a run that started and ended Muñoz Trinidad kills. The Jarabacoa, Dominican Republic, native also came up clutch in the decisive fourth set. With the score tied at 22-all, he ended the match with a 3-0 run that included another pair of kills.

Muñoz Trinidad (16) and Peiser (11) each had double-digit kills for Elmira in the nightcap. Libero Alex Adelman '22 had a team-high eight digs, followed by Jackson with seven. Matt Amoddio '22 and Ryan Mattes '23 each had three blocks for the Soaring Eagles.

In Their Own Words...
Head Coach Daniel Miranda when asked about Saturday's sweep against the Saints...
"Awesome way to finish out the season. Our offense was more efficient than we had been all season and we made the right adjustments defensively to hold through. Great way to wrap up and establish our goals for next season."

News and Notes

• The wins over D'Youville are Elmira's first of the 2021 season.
• The Soaring Eagles improved to 12-3 all-time in the series and have won 11 in a row over the Saints.
• Muñoz Trinidad logged a combined 27 kills with a .426 attack percentage across both matches.
• Muñoz Trinidad's 16 kills in the late bout are the most by an Elmira hitter in any match this season.
• Jackson (22), Peiser (20), and Amoddio (15) also had double-digit kills.
• Amoddio's .650 attack percentage (15k-2e-20ta) paced all Soaring Eagles.
• Amoddio has hit above .600 in four consecutive matches.
• Setter Neiram Galán-Canales '23 handed out 74 assists and averaged 9.25 assists per set.