ROCHESTER, N.Y.- The #12 Juniata men's volleyball team suffered a 3-1 (22-25, 25-20, 17-25, 22-25) loss to Nazareth, Saturday evening inside Kidera Gymnasium.
The first saw Juniata holding a narrow lead early before a 5-0 rally put the Golden Flyers in front by three. Juniata would mount a 4-0 spurt behind two errors from the host's and kills from Kevin Duffy III (Carlisle, Pa. / Carlisle HS) and Max Cooley (Bethel Park, Pa. / Bethel Park HS) to pull even at 17-17. Nazareth would retake the lead, and while the Eagles got within one three different times down the stretch, they could not pull even as the Golden Flyers took set one.
Set two was a back and forth affair, with Juniata taking the lead midway through on a kill from Tyler Goldsborough (Reading, Pa. / Exeter Township HS). Nazareth hung around, but Juniata never relinquished the lead the rest of the way, with a Duffy kill taking the set for JC.
The Golden Flyers had their best hitting percentage in a set in the third, as they hit a robust .421 and kept Juniata at arm's length as they took set three by the largest difference in score in any set.
Set four saw Juniata pull even several times, with the final time at 22-22, but Nazareth took the final three points to deny Juniata's bid for a fifth set.
Juniata will host #3 Dominican for their home-opener this Friday at 8:00.