Huntingdon, Pa.- The Juniata men's volleyball team swept Eastern Mennonite, 3-0 (26-24, 25-17, 25-18) Saturday afternoon at Memorial Gymnasium in a rematch of last year's Continental Volleyball Conference Championship Game.

Quinn Peterson (Las Vegas, Nev./Shadow Ridge) had 10 kills, three service aces and two solo blocks. Matt Vasinko (Loyalhanna, Pa./Derry Area) tallied 10 kills, an ace, five digs, a solo block and two block assists. Mahlon Bender (Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin) added four kills, three solo blocks and five block assists. Matt Schaeffer (Mount Wolf, Pa./Northeastern) had 28 assists, a solo block and four block assists.  

The first set opened with neither team able to gain much of an edge, as neither team led by more than two early on. The Royals eventually opened a 12-15 lead before a kill from Peterson, a block from Bender and an EMU attack error made it 15-15. The teams battled back and forth trading points, with EMU going ahead 24-23 as they looked to take the first set. A bad set by EMU followed by a kill from Vasinko put JC in the driver's seat. The Royals called timeout, but to no avail as a kill from Joe Fick (Venetia, Pa./Peters Township) gave JC the first set.

With the score at 1-2, two kills from Bender and a kill each by Fick and Peterson put the Eagles up 5-2. Juniata tried to pull away but EMU kept close, and a kill pulled them back within three at 14-11. The Eagles surged ahead with an 8-0 run and cruised the rest of the way as JC captured the second set 25-17.

The third set was tied 3-3 early, before two Peterson blocks and a block by Bender and Fick paired with a EMU attack error made it 7-3. The Royals didn't fold, and pulled within three several times including at 14-11. A block by David Hibner (Burke, Va./ Lake Braddock Secondary) and a Vasinko ace made it 16-11. EMU got within three again at 21-18, but Juniata wanted the sweep. An EMU service error, a block by Vasinko, a kill from Peterson and finally a kill from Vasinko sealed the set and match.

Juniata returns to action at Thiel, Wednesday at 7:00.