ROCHESTER, N.Y.-The Juniata men's volleyball team opened up the Nazareth Tournament with a 3-1 (23-25, 25-23, 25-21, 25-23) win over the hosts Friday evening at Kidera Gymnasium.
The first set was tightly contested throughout as neither team led by more than three at any point. Trailing late at 17-19, a kill and a block from David Hibner (Burke, Va. / Lake Braddock Secondary) knotted things up. The Golden Flyers tallied a quick three points go back up. The teams traded points before a kill from Leland Hacecky (Ashburn, Va. / Stone Bridge) and a block by Quinn Peterson (Las Vegas, Nev. / Shadow Ridge) pulled the Eagles within one, 22-23. Nazareth reached set point, a Peterson kill kept the Blue and Gold alive but a service error ended their comeback hopes as they fell, 23-25 in opener.
The second set followed the same script to the first, as Juniata fell behind but stayed close throughout. With the score at 17-19 they called time out. Hibner put down another kill before the Golden Flyers took the next two points. A Hacecky kill and an attack error had JC within one again. A service error made it 20-22 before the Eagles made their move. Peterson smashed a kill and a bad set from the hosts forced them to call timeout with the time score. Momentum had swung the other way as an attack error a solo block from Kevin Duffy (Carlisle, Pa. / Carlisle HS) pushed the Eagles to set point. Nazareth took the next point, but following a quick JC timeout a service error handed them set two 25-23.
The third set saw the Eagles take the lead momentarily a few times, but ultimately still trailed 18-19. A service error and a big swing for a kill from Joe Fick (Venetia, Pa. / Peters Township) made it 20-19. Nazareth pulled even at 20-20, but the Eagles again got better later in the set. Back to back kills from Peterson and Fick along with an ace from Austin Goodsel (Corry, Pa. / Fort Leboeuf HS) forced a Golden Flyers to call timeout. A Duffy kill forced set point, but a service error broke the run momentarily before a Fick kill ended set three in favor of the Eagles, 25-21.
Set four saw JC jump ahead early 6-2 before Nazareth battled back to take a 10-11 lead. The teams went back and forth, with Nazareth taking another two-point lead at 19-21 as the Eagles called timeout. The teams traded points to make it 20-22 before the Eagles surged ahead again late. Peterson's 15thkill, another ace from Goodsel and an attack error by the Golden Flyers put Juniata ahead 23-22. A service error tied things up before another Peterson kill gave the Eagles match point and an attack error ended the match, 25-23.
Juniata returns to action against Elmira at 11:00.