HARRISONBURG, Va. – Things did not look bright for the No. 7 Messiah men's volleyball team after they dropped the first two sets on Friday night against No. 11 Southern Virginia. The Falcons showed their grit and resiliency, taking the third set 25-23 and gaining some momentum. After forcing a fifth set with a 25-20 victory in the fourth, Messiah was rolling. In the game-deciding fifth set, Messiah opened up a comfortable 8-2 lead en route to a 15-5 victory in the set and a 3-2 (25-27, 18-25, 25-23, 25-20, 15-5) reverse sweep of the Southern Virginia Knights.
 
The victory was their 13th of the season and one of their most dramatic to date. Once again, the Falcons added to their strong early-season resume with another solid win against a ranked program. Just last Saturday, Southern Virginia knocked off the previously unbeaten No. 1 Juniata Eagles 3-1, making this victory all the more meaningful in the non-conference slate.
 
Individually, Mason Nissley finished the night with 14 kills with a pair of aces, 11 digs, and seven total blocks. Matt Knab dished out 36 assists with two aces and seven digs. Adam Casper and Ryan Givens each finished the night with six total blocks.
 
The Falcons will complete their weekend tomorrow with a pair of matches against Eastern Mennonite at noon and Randolph-Macon at 2:00 p.m.
 
How It Happened
The opening set was back and forth with the Falcons holding a slim 25-24 lead at the end of the set. Messiah dropped the last three points of the set, committing three-straight errors and dropping the set 27-25.
 
The momentum from the late run by the Knights at the end of the first set carried over into the second set with Southern Virginia taking an early 7-1 lead. The Falcons hung around, but could not overcome the early deficit, falling in the set 25-18. Trailing 2-0, things looked grim for the Falcons, but Messiah won an ugly third set 25-23. Both teams hit in the negatives in the set with Messiah committing 10 errors against seven kills and the Knights picking up eight kills against 10 errors. The Falcons' defense stepped up in the set, earning eight blocks.
 
In the fourth, Messiah trailed early with the Knights taking an 8-4 lead after back-to-back kills. But the set was a game of runs as Messiah responded with a 7-1 run to take the lead at 11-9. The Knights flipped the lead back in their favor with a 7-2 run to take a 16-13 advantage. Messiah won six of the next seven points to hold a two-point lead at 19-17. After trading the next five points, Messiah claimed the final four points to take the set 25-20. Adam Casper and Matt Knab combined for a block to clinch the set.
 
The fifth set was nothing but Messiah. The Knights won the first point on a kill from Jeremey Brown, but Messiah went on three separate 4-0 runs to take a 12-3 lead. Messiah closed out the set with another block, this time coming from Mason Nissely and Ryan Givens. Messiah claimed the set 15-5 and closed out the reverse sweep for the 3-2 victory.
 
What's Up Next
The Falcons have a pair of matches coming up on Saturday when they take on Eastern Mennonite at noon and Randolph-Macon at 2:00 p.m.