Post-Game Interviews
(Head Coach Kevin Moore, Alex McColgin and Matt Elias)
ROCHESTER, N.Y. – A slow start hurt No. 8 Juniata College men's volleyball in its NCAA Quarterfinal match against No. 15 Rivier University Friday night. The Eagles (24-12) fell 3-0 (28-26, 25-20, 25-23) to end their historic season. Rivier improved to 27-11 on the year and will face host Nazareth College Saturday, April 27 at 6 p.m. in the national semifinal.
Sophomore Alex McColgin (Buffalo, N.Y./Hamburg) finished with a match-high 17 kills, hitting a team-best .429 in the loss. He led the team in kills and attacks coming into the match and finishes the year with career-best 312 kills under his belt. Matt Elias (Lansdale, Pa./North Penn) closed out his stellar freshman campaign by racking up 33 assists. The Continental Volleyball Conference (CVC) Freshman of the Year has 784 for his career.
Game One
It was a defensive display at the net by both team's big men. The teams combined for eight blocks in game one alone. Rivier was the statistical leader in the category coming into the matchup with Juniata ranked fourth.
The game was tied several times as the programs battled for the lead down the stretch. Juniata called timeout after a kill by All-American middle Aaron Almario gave Rivier the 20-19 lead.
McColgin came out of the break swinging and sided-out with a kill from the outside. The game was tied three more times before a kill by Almario had the Raiders on game point, 24-23. A back row kill by McColgin tied the game up at 24-all. Junior Ross Madden (Richmond, Va./Deep Run) then hit a cross-court shot that landed in front of the 10ft line that put the Eagles on game point, 25-24.
Rivier responded by a kill from Terence Matall to tie it back up and a kill by Chris Markuson put the Raiders on game point again. But an attack error by Markuson tied it up for the sixth and final time at 26-all.
Markuson put the next ball down for game point. And an ace secured the win.
Game Two
Rivier led by four (8-4) before the Eagles began driving back into the match and tied it up at 9-all. But the Raiders began to pull away again, leading by as much as five (17-12) when sophomore All-American Paul Kuhn (York, Pa./Central York) slammed down a ball on the right side.
Elias went right back to Kuhn for another Kill and Juniata pulled within three (17-14). Sophomore Justin Waldorf (Eden, N.Y./Eden) then dropped in back-to-back aces on float serves and Juniata suddenly trailed by just one, 17-16. That would be the closest Rivier would allow the Eagles as they pushed to a 25-21 win.
Game Three
The final game was played incredibly tight, and was tied three times before the eighth point by each team. Rivier took the 12-9 lead when the Eagles began rallying again, pulling within two (15-13) and forcing the Raiders to take a timeout.
Down 20-18, a big block in the middle by freshman Chad Albert (Cranberry Township, Pa./Seneca Valley) followed by a kill from the back row by McColgin tied the game up again. But Rivier retook the lead.
A kill by McColgin pulled Juniata within one (23-22) again and forced another Rivier timeout. The Raiders came out and sided-out to earn match-point. Another kill by McColgin kept Juniata's hopes alive. But a block on the right side ended the match and the Eagles season.
Juniata finished its 2013 season having won six of its last seven Division III matches and setting program milestones. The Eagles earned the programs first CVC title and NCAA Tournament berth. They also had back-to-back 20+ win seasons for the first time in program history. Under head coach Kevin Moore, Juniata has amassed a 70-35 overall record and gone 22-2 in conference play over the past three years.
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