Glenside, Pa. – The Messiah men's volleyball team improved to 3-0 on the season after completing a road doubleheader sweep against Arcadia University on Saturday afternoon, securing Match One, 3-2 (19-25, 25-18, 25-20, 23-25, 15-12), and completing the sweep in Match Two, 3-0 (25-23, 29-27, 25-21). Sophomore outside hitter Mason Nissley led both matches in kills (23, 22), while senior setter Matt Knab also set game-highs in assists (50, 38) for both matches.
 
The Falcons have now won three-straight matches against Arcadia, dating back to the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, when Messiah upset the ninth-ranked Knights at home, 3-2 (25-21, 26-24, 19-25, 22-25, 15-13).
 
Match One
After a stellar 18-kill performance on Wednesday night, Mason Nissley kept his momentum going by getting the Falcons on the board first with a kill, putting Messiah ahead, 1-0. The Falcons would rattle off three-consecutive points to begin Match One, extending the advantage to 8-3 after a Knights attacking error. The hosts used a 4-1 scoring run to pull within one point, 10-9, after a kill from Quinn Baily. From that point, the two sides traded blows, with Arcadia claiming a 14-13 advantage, before a kill from Marshall Nixon leveled the game.
 
An Arcadia service error disrupted a three-point scoring run for the Falcons, as Messiah trailed, 18-16. The hosts kept up the momentum, ending the opening set on a 6-3 run, claiming the frame, 25-19. Marshall Nixon swung a perfect percentage during the set, connecting on all three of his attacks.
 
In set two, the Falcons jumped out to a 3-1 edge behind an attacking error and kills from both Matt Schaefer and Nixon. The Knights battled back, jumping to an 9-6 advantage, before Nissley connected on a swing to bring the Falcons within a two-point deficit, 9-7. The set was tightly-contested, with Messiah taking its first advantage since the early 3-1 lead after a service ace from Jared Keul, giving the Falcons a 15-14 edge.
 
Messiah did not look back from that point, ending the set in strong fashion. A 10-3 scoring run saw the Falcons clinch set two, 25-18, leveling Match One at 1-1. During the scoring run, Nissley contributed three kills, upping his total to a game-high nine kills.
 
The Falcons and Knights came out punching to begin the third set. A Knights service error from Owen Heft put Messiah ahead, 5-3. The two sides continued to battle as neither team held more than a two-point advantage before Messiah enjoyed three-straight kills from Nissley and Nate Bowman, giving the Falcons an 18-15 lead. The kills were part of a 6-1 scoring run that featured successful attacks from four different Falcons. Despite most of the set being close, the Falcons cruised to clinch set three on an Arcadia service error, 25-20. At the conclusion of the set, Nixon was swinging an impressive .727%, totaling nine kills.
 
A relatively sloppy start to set four saw the Knights take an early 5-3 lead as both sides combined for three service errors and three attacking errors. Four of Messiah's first five points were granted through Arcadia errors. Nissley and Nixon each tallied two kills early on, with Nixon's second kill leveling the score, 9-9. The hosts jumped out to a 14-11 advantage before a 4-0 scoring run, which saw Bowman register his fourth kill of the game, put the Falcons ahead.
 
Messiah trailed it, 23-19, before a monstrous kill from Bowman trimmed the deficit to three. The Falcons scored the next three of four points in the set, making it a 24-23 score in favor of Arcadia, but the Knights closed out the set with a kill by Baily.
 
The match-deciding set, like the previous set, was a close affair. The Falcons' fifth service ace of the game came from Noah Wilson, giving Messiah a slim 4-3 lead early on. The service ace was part of a 6-2 scoring run that put the Falcons in the driver's seat with an 8-5 advantage. Messiah continued to pour it on as Nissley stuffed a Baily attack, increasing the lead, 11-7. Arcadia made it close down the stretch, pulling to within two points, 14-12, but a kill from Nissley solidified the tight victory for the Falcons, 15-12. The Falcons clinched the opening game of the doubleheader, 3-2.
 
Match Two
Messiah, seeking to complete the road sweep, edged out a narrow opening game, 25-23. The Falcons converted on 17-35 attack attempts, committing just two service errors. Messiah took advantage of the Knights' seven service errors to claim a 1-0 advantage in the match.
 
The beginning of the second set proved to be neck-and-neck between the conference foes. The Falcons held a narrow one-point margin throughout the opening points, before the hosts claimed its first advantage of the set, 9-8, after Nissley misfired on a swing. Knab was able to find a soft sport in Arcadia's defense, leveling the game, 11-11. An even 5-5 run between the two sides left the set at 16-16. During the run, Bowman, Nissley, and Nixon all contributed successful swings for the Falcons. Arcadia led, 20-19, before a Parzyszek kill equalized the set once again, 20-20.
 
The remainder of the set was as hard-fought as it gets. Trailing, 23-20, Messiah battled back to edge out the set victory, 29-27. The two sides traded blows, but the set was decided by a Nixon kill followed by an attacking error from the Knights. At the conclusion of the set, Nissley led the match in kills (15), while Knab was a match-leader in assists (26).
 
In what proved to be the decisive set, Nissley began the run of play with a kill, giving the Falcons a 1-0 lead. The two sides battled as four different Falcons contributed kills, leaving Arcadia with a slight 8-7 advantage. Messiah proceeded to rattle off five-straight points, leading, 12-8, capitalizing on four-consecutive errors from the Knights. After surging ahead to a 20-14 lead, the Falcons were within striking distance of completing the road doubleheader sweep. Nissley secured three kills in the final five points for Messiah, including the match-clinching swing. The Falcons claimed the third set, 25-21, ultimately improving their season record to 3-0.
 
Nissley was a star again in the second portion of the doubleheader, notching a game-high 22 kills and 10 digs. Freshman libero Owen Hanzelman led the game in digs (11), while Knab contributed 38 assists, also a game-high.
 
What's Next?
The Falcons (3-0) will be back in action this Wednesday, Mar. 3, when they travel to Misericordia (1-2) to take on the Cougars at 7:00 p.m.