HUNTINGDON, Pa.- The Juniata men's volleyball team turned away a feisty #15 Stevenson team, 3-2 (27-25, 25-21, 21-25, 22-25, 15-9), Saturday afternoon inside Memorial Gymnasium on the second day of the Juniata Invitational.
The opening set was tightly contested and back and forth affair as neither team could gain much separation. The Mustangs pushed their advantage to four midway through the set 14-18, which was the largest advantage to that point. A kill from David Hibner (Burke, Va. / Lake Braddock Secondary), a block by Joe Fick (Venetia, Pa. / Peters Township) and Hibner, and a kill from Sean Cavanagh (Cranberry Twp., Pa. / Seneca Valley) brought JC back within one. The teams traded points for a bit, but with the score at 18-21, JC rallied to take the lead. A service error by Stevenson was followed by an ace from Robert Bowling (Columbus, Ohio / Hilliard Darby), which caused the visitors to call a timeout. Bowling and Fick put down back to back kills to give Juniata their first lead since early in the set. The Mustangs took the next two points to retake the lead, and this time Juniata was the one calling a timeout. The teams traded points as the Mustangs reached set point, but a kill from Bowling and a block by Hibner and Cavanagh gave JC set point. Stevenson took the next point on an attack error, but another Cavanagh kill followed by a Bowling kill off the block gave Juniata set one, 27-25.
Eagles take set 1 against No. 15 Stevenson with a kill from Robert Bowling! #goeagles #d3vb #jcmvbpic.twitter.com/rK6NIJy3ed
— Juniata Athletics (@JuniataEagles) January 25, 2020
Trailing 0-2 to start set two, two kills from Bowling, a kill from Cavanagh and Fick to go with a Mustangs error and a block by Kevin Duffy (Carlisle, Pa. / Carlisle HS) and Bowling pushed Juniata ahead 6-2, and they nursed that lead the rest of the set. Stevenson got within two quick at 8-6, but two errors sandwiched around a Hibner kill gave the Eagles some cushion. The Mustangs didn't get within three again until they struck back to back kills to make it 21-18. Juniata managed to take set two behind a kill by Cavanagh, 25-21.
Kill by Sean Cavangh! Eagles continue to lead going in to set 3 against the Mustangs! #wingsup #goeaglespic.twitter.com/cjLd1lefIN
— Juniata Athletics (@JuniataEagles) January 25, 2020
Juniata trailed for almost the entire third set, and while they managed to tie the score several times, they could never get ahead. Two straight Duffy kills late made it 21-23, but the Mustangs took the final two points of the third to keep the match going.
The fourth set saw Juniata lead early, but again the Mustangs managed to take the lead, and midway through the set, it looked like they were going to force a fifth set easily as they led 14-19. Kills from Bowling and Hibner, two Mustang attack errors and a block by Hibner and Will Phelan (Saegertown, Pa. / Saegertown H.S.) evened things at 19-19. The teams traded points, with a Bowling kill knotting the score at 21-21, but the Mustangs tallied four of the final five points to force a final set.
Phelan and Bowling smashed kills to give JC a 2-0 lead to start the fifth. The teams trade points until another Bowling kill, and an error increases the advantage to three. The Mustangs got one back on a block, and then Phelan took the Eagles home as he scored five of the final seven points as JC took set five 15-9.
A kill by Will Phelan extends Juniata's lead in set 5, 10-6! #goeagles #d3vb #wingsuppic.twitter.com/kjZRjWrPj3
— Juniata Athletics (@JuniataEagles) January 25, 2020
Will Phelan puts down the winning kill as Juniata defeats Stevenson 3-2 (27-25, 25-21, 21-25, 22-25, 15-9) pic.twitter.com/cH624b5w9E
— Juniata Athletics (@JuniataEagles) January 25, 2020
The Eagles will take on Arcadia, Saturday at 1:00.
