GRANTHAM, Pa. - The Messiah College men's volleyball team started their 2020 season on Wednesday evening against the Marymount University Saints. The Falcons fell to the Saints in a close 3-1 (24-26, 26-24, 25-19, 25-23) match, moving to 0-1 on the season. After winning the first set 26-24, Messiah battled hard but dropped the next three sets to a talented Marymount team. 

Overall, Messiah hit a .291 (50 kills, 20 errors, 103 attempts) while the Saints hit a .330 (50 kills, 19 errors, 94 attempts). The Falcons won the defensive battle at the net with nine blocks compared to the Saints' one block. 

The Falcons were led by rookie Mason Nissley, who terminated 14 kills and collected six digs. Ian Parzysek added 10 kills, while Matt Knab delivered 38 assists and grabbed seven kills. 

Falcons Secure Opening Set
The first set consisted of a lot of back-and-forth action and side out volleyball from both teams. The Saints had the upper hand early in the set but after back-to-back blocks from the Falcons, Messiah took their first lead of the night, 13-12. The Saints scored three-straight points to pull ahead (15-13) and the side out play continued. Marymount had slight lead (18-16) late in the set after a kill, however the Falcons generated some momentum and went on a four-point trot to pull ahead. Mason Nissley initiated this scoring spree with a kill, followed by back-to-back errors from Marymount. Matt Knab ended the run with a swing off an overpass to give the Falcons a 20-18 advantage. The Saints sided out and went on a 5-to-3 run to gain a 23-22 lead, however a kill from Will Webb tied the set at 23-23. Marymount went back on top (24-23) after a missed serve, however Messiah closed the game with three-straight points to win the opening set 26-24. The Falcons hit an impressive .474 in the first set, only committing three errors, while terminating on 12 swings.

Saints Tie Things Up
The second set was much like the first, a lot of back-and-forth play from both teams. The Falcons had an early 7-6 lead after three-straight points early in the set, including a kill from Ian Parzyszek and an ace from Mason Nissley. However, Marymount responded and regained the lead (8-7). Messiah was trailing Marymount late in the set (20-18), but back-to-back kills from Noah Shreiner and Parzysek tied the game up at 20-20. The two teams clashed back-and-forth and the score was tied four more times before the Saints scored two-consecutive points to win the set (26-24) and tie the match at 1-1.

Late Surge Not Enough
Marymount had a dominant third set hitting .867, while not committing any attack errors. The Falcons were also efficient with their attacking (.400) but found themselves playing catch up late in the set. Both teams had impressive starts to the third game and Messiah was one point away from the lead (11-10) after a kill by Mason Nissley. The Saints then launched off on a 6-to-2 scoring spurt to pull ahead 17-12. Messiah found a boost late in the set and went on a 5-to-2 run of their own to bring the Saints' lead back down to two points (19-17). However, Marymount remained efficient and aggressive with their serve, closing out the set 25-19.

Falcons Fight Until The End
The Falcons found themselves in a hole early in the set, trailing the Saints 7-2. Yet, Messiah's defensive net play stepped up and picked up two straight blocks which narrowed the margin to 7-4. Nonetheless, a kill from Marymount and two errors from the Falcons put the Saints back on-top 10-4. Messiah slowly began to chip away at the score bringing it down to three (12-9). But once again, Marymount pulled ahead and held a 16-11 lead in the middle of the set. The Falcons did not stop fighting. A late surge lifted the Falcons on a 6-to-1 run to tie the game at 17-17. Ian Parzyszek got things going for the Falcons, followed by two kills and a block from Mason Nissley. Nissley and middle blocker Noah Shreiner tied the game up (17-17) with a crucial block at the net. Although the Saints sided out, this didn't faze Messiah. They continued to push and took a 21-19 lead after another kill from Nissley, delivered by Matt Knab, and a Saints' error. Unfortunately, this late push from the Falcons wouldn't be enough. Marymount closed out the set on a 6-to-2 run to claim the 25-23 win, defeating Messiah in four sets.

Up Next
The Falcons will be on the road Saturday, Jan 25 for a tri-match in Newark, N.J. Messiah will take on the College of Mount Saint Vincent at 1:00 p.m. followed by a 3:00 p.m. match against the host's Rutgers-Newark.