BUENA VISTA, Va.- Friday evening, the #8 Juniata men's volleyball team lost to #2 Southern Virginia, 3-1 (25-22, 29-31, 21-25, 23-25) in a Continental Volleyball Conference heavyweight matchup. 

Tyler Goldsborough had a team-high 16 kills (.267) to go with a dig and two block assists, Campbell Gerdeman had 11 kills, two assists, an ace, nine digs and two block assists. Luke Hoffman added seven kills (.286), an ace, three digs, and four block assists. Tyler Phillips had nine kills, four digs, and two block assists, while Reese Ganter had 39 assists and four digs. 

Set one saw the Eagles hit .316 as they had their best set hitting the ball, but the Knights hung tight the whole way. The set was tied at 16-16 before a kill from Phillips and two from Goldsborough put JC back up by three. Juniata maintained at least a two-point advantage the rest of the set as they took set one on a Gerdeman kill, 25-22. 

In set two, neither team led by more than two at any point as they traded haymakers. A Chris Mellor kill gave JC a set point first, but SVU took the next two points to get a set point of their own. The Eagles fought off five set points before the Knights eventually took the set 31-29. 

In set three, with the score at 15-15, the Knights ripped off a 5-1 run to go up 16-20. The Eagles responded, taking five of the next seven to get within one, 21-22. Two kills and a block saw the hosts take set three 21-25. 

Set four was more of the same, with the Eagles battling back with a 7-2 run highlighted by two kills from Goldsborough and a block from him and Hoffman to put JC ahead 17-16. The Knights took the next three points, Nathanael Brown put down a kill and combined with Hoffman for another block to bring the teams even at 19. SVU responded with a kill before Gerdeman placed a ball where the defense wasn't for a kill, and Mellor and Gerdeman stuffed the Knight opposite to make it 21-20. An Eagle service error followed by another Gerdeman kill had the Eagles three points away from a fifth set. SVU closed the door from there, taking four of the final five points to win the set and match 25-23.

Juniata will look to bounce back tomorrow with a game at Roanoke at 1:00.