ROCHESTER, N.Y.-The Juniata men's volleyball team went the distance as they beat Elmira, 3-2 (22-25, 25-23, 25-17, 19-25, 15-10) Saturday morning at Kidera Gymnasium.
Set one saw the Soaring Eagles jump ahead 2-6 before Juniata quickly came back to lock it up at 6-6. The teams traded the lead back and forth, with Elmira later taking a narrow 19-21 lead. Kills from Quinn Peterson (Las Vegas, Nev. / Shadow Ridge) and Michael Young (Westlake Village, Calif. / Westlake Village) and an attack error by the Soaring Eagles gave Juniata a one-point lead. That was the last point they scored as Elmira closed the set with a 4-0 flurry to win 22-25.
The Eagles took the opening four points of the set via kills from David Hibner (Burke, Va. / Lake Braddock Secondary), a block from Hibner and Peterson and two attack errors from the Soaring Eagles. Elmira closed the gaps as the teams went back and forth the rest of the set with neither team gaining much of an edge. Later, an Eagle attack error made it 21-22 and JC called timeout. Joe Fick (Venetia, Pa. / Peters Township) tallied a kill and Elmira committed two straight attack errors to give the Eagles set point. The Soaring Eagles stayed alive momentarily before a service error ended set two, 25-23.
Set three saw the Eagles take control early. With the score at 6-6: a block from Young and Kevin Duffy (Carlisle, Pa. / Carlisle HS), another Hibner kill, two straight Soaring Eagle errors and another Hibner kill made it 12-6. Elmira took the next point, but the Eagles were rolling. Peterson put down another kill, Leland Hacecky (Ashburn, Va. / Stone Bridge) and Hibner made back to back solo blocks before Hacecky smashed a kill to make it 16-7. The Eagles cruised to a 25-17 victory to go up 2-1.
The fourth set saw the Soaring Eagles go on 8-1 run with the score at 14-11 to jump ahead 19-15. Juniata pulled within two twice but they couldn't complete the comeback as Elmira forced a decisive fifth set as they won 19-25.
An Elmira attack error and a Hacecky block made it 2-0 Juniata. The Soaring Eagles stayed within two points, eventually pulling within two again at 11-9 as the Eagles called timeout. A cross court kill by Fick and a block by Duffy made it 13-9. Elmira took the next point, but Fick's 12 kill of the match gave the Eagles match point. A big block by Young ended the match, 15-10.
The Eagles will face Medaille at 3:00 pm.