GRANTHAM, Pa. - On Friday night, the Messiah men's volleyball team earned their third-straight sweep by defeating the Geneva College Golden Tornadoes by a 3-0 (25-15, 25-21, 25-17) final. As a team, the Falcons hit .377 with
Mason Nissley's 13 kills leading the charge.
Matt Knab dished out 32 assists and recorded four aces while the Falcons' defense stepped up big with nine total blocks.
The victory moves the Falcons to 5-3 overall this season. Messiah will have a quick turnaround as they head to Wilkes-Barre tomorrow morning for a tri-match against the Wilkes Colonels at 11:00 a.m. and the Wells Express at 1:00 p.m.
How It Happened
The start of Friday's match was a little back and forth with the Falcons and Golden Tornadoes both struggling to find their groove in the early going. After 12 points, the score was level at 6-6 before a 7-2 Messiah run gave the Falcons a 13-8 lead. The Falcons' defense stepped up big with three-straight blocks followed by consecutive kills from
Mason Nissley.
After Geneva pulled within three at 15-12, Messiah rattled off 10 of the final 13 points to clinch the set on a
Matt Knab service ace at 25-15.
In the second, Messiah started off hot with four-straight kills from
Jacob Hamm (two),
Mason Nissley, and
Ryan Givens to take a 4-0 lead. That lead eventually grew to 8-2 before Geneva worked their way back with a 5-1 run to make it 9-7.
An 11-4 Messiah run put the Falcons up 20-11 after back-to-back blocks from
Jacob Hamm and
Ryan Givens. The Golden Tornadoes attempted to rally back, but Messiah were able to hold off the effort, winning the set on a
Conner Stauffer kill. The Falcons took the set 25-21.
In the third, Messiah steadily built their lead holding cushions of 2-0, 8-5, 11-6, 18-11, and 23-12. After Messiah held a double-digit lead at 23-12, Geneva went on a 5-1 run, but
Luke Olson ended both the set and the match with a kill. Messiah claimed the set 25-17 and the match 3-0.
The third set was Messiah's most efficient set on the evening, hitting .600 as a team in the game with 12 kills on 15 swings with just three errors.
What's Up Next
The Falcons will be back in action tomorrow morning in Wilkes-Barre, Pa. in their first tri-match of the season. Messiah will take on the host Wilkes Colonels at 11:00 a.m. before wrapping up their day against Wells College at 1:00 p.m. in the nightcap. The Falcons own a 6-0 all-time record against Wilkes, but have never faced the Wells Express.
