HUNTINGDON, Pa.- The Juniata men's volleyball team makes a return to the Continental Volleyball Conference Tournament this Friday when it travels to Owings Mills, MD to play Stevenson. The Eagles are the #4 seed while the Mustangs are the #1 seed.
The Eagles' place in the playoffs seemed unlikely earlier this season. Juniata started the year 0-3 and at one point endured a six-match winless streak that included conference losses to the Mustangs, Eastern Mennonite, and Marymount.
Juniata righted itself with a straight set win over Thiel on March 22. Despite losing a 2-0 lead and falling to Rutgers-Newark last Friday, the Eagles could still make the playoffs and did thanks to a 3-0 win over Cairn on Saturday.
Contributions have come from all over the team. Seniors Chad Albert (Cranberry Township, Pa./Seneca Valley) and Ryan Shelton (Baldwinsville, N.Y./Baldwinsville) have been a steady presence for the Eagles this season. Albert leads the team in hitting percentage at .381 and is second in total blocks with 66. Shelton has totaled a team-best 494 assists.
After not playing last season, junior Brendan Smith (Fuquay-Varina, N.C./Fuquay-Varina) returned to lead the JC defense. Smith has put up a career-best 197 digs and is averaging 2.24 per set.
Fellow junior Kyle Seeley (Ellicott City, Md./Howard) has been solid on the offense end with 295 kills and 26 service aces. He also leads in total blocks with 69 and has contributed 77 digs, which is a career-best.
Young players like sophomore Matt Vasinko (Loyalhanna, Pa./Derry Area) and freshman Quinn Peterson (Las Vegas, Nev./Shadow Ridge) have also made an impact. Vasinko saw an uptick in playing time this year and responded well. He has 172 kills, 15 service aces, 70 digs, and 16 total blocks. In his first season in an Eagle uniform, Peterson has contributed 170 kills, 15 service aces, 59 digs, and 35 total blocks.
In the all-time series between the two schools, Juniata leads 6-4. The Mustangs did get the better of the Eagles this season with a pair of 3-0 wins. This will be the second time that they have met in CVC playoffs with the last time occurring in the championship match in 2014 in which the Eagles prevailed 3-0 to win their second CVC championship. Overall, the Eagles are 5-1 in the CVC tournament.
