WILKES-BARRE, Pa. - The Messiah men's volleyball team rolled through a pair of foes on Saturday in their first tri-match of the season, defeating conference opponent Wilkes 3-0 (25-18, 25-11, 25-18) and non-conference foe Wells 3-0 (25-14, 25-23, 25-18). Messiah was extremely efficient all day long, hitting at a .483 clip against Wilkes and notching a .403 mark against Wells.
 
Mason Nissley led the Falcons with 19 kills on the day, playing only three sets on the day.
 
With the pair of sweeps on Saturday, the Falcons have won five-straight matches over the last two weeks with all five coming in straight sets.
 
Messiah will be back in action on Wednesday when they host the Eastern Eagles for a conference match at 7:30 p.m. on Jordan Court in Hitchcock Arena.
 
Messiah defeats Wilkes 3-0 (25-18, 25-11, 25-18)
The opening set against the Colonels was back and forth throughout, until the Falcons put their foot on the gas late in the game. Messiah held an 18-16 lead, but scored seven of the final nine points to claim the first set 25-18. Nate Bowman led the late charge with three kills.
 
In the second, Messiah did not need a big run late as they steadily built their advantage throughout the set. The Falcons consistently went on three-point runs to defeat the Colonels 25-11 in the set. As a team, Messiah hit .842 in the set with 16 kills on 19 attacks with no errors.
 
The Falcons took care of business in the third, winning the set 25-18 by steadily increasing their lead. An early 4-0 run created some separation and the Falcons never looked back.
 
A number of Falcons had big matches against Wilkes with Ryan Givens (seven kills, .875 hitting percentage), Conner Stauffer (eight kills, .727 hitting percentage), and Mason Nissley (11 kills, .412 hitting percentage) leading the hitters. Matt Knab dished out 28 assists across two sets.
 
Messiah defeats Wells 3-0 (25-14, 25-23, 25-18)
In the night cap against the Wells Express, Messiah quickly built a 13-3 lead in the opening set before cruising to the 25-14 victory in set one. The Falcons were stellar in the set with a .522 hitting percentage, collecting 15 kills on 23 attacks and just three errors. Mason Nissley set the tone with eight kills and a .636 hitting percentage in his only set played of the match.
 
In the second, Messiah emptied the bench and played a tighter set with the Exprress. The Falcons used a 5-0 run late in the set to create some needed separation, eventually earning the 25-23 victory. Jared Keul punctuated the end of the set with a kill.
 
In the third, Messiah grew their lead throughout, eventually winning the set 25-18 and the match 3-0.
 
It was a true team effort for the Falcons against Wells with 14 different Flacons getting time on the court. In the match, 12 different Falcons registered a kill while the two that did not, Matt Knab (13 assists) and Owen Hanzelman (seven digs) were extremely productive in their roles.
 
What's Up Next
Messiah will host the Eastern Eagles on Wednesday night at 7:30 p.m. on Jordan Court in Hitchcock Arena. The Eagles hold a 3-2 record on the season and are winners of their last two matches. Eastern has not played a conference match yet this season.