GRANTHAM, Pa. – On Friday night, the No. 15 Messiah men's volleyball team opened the Messiah Invitational against the No. 12 Juniata Eagles. The Falcons and Eagles battled through five sets with Juniata coming out on top, 3-2 (23-25, 23-25, 25-19, 25-21, 15-10). The Falcons took the first two sets by identical 25-23 scores, but the Eagles stormed back to quiet a full Hitchcock Arena with a reverse sweep in a match-up of top-15 foes.
 
The Falcons were led by Ryan Givens, who finished the match with 15 kills and seven total blocks. Alex Kagoro contributed a dozen kills of his own while Noah Aurdos and Brandon Sharp split setting duties with 29 and 18 assists, respectively.
 
A quick turnaround awaits the Falcons as Messiah hosts the No. 7 Vassar Brewers at 4:00 p.m. on Day Two of the Messiah Invitational.
 
Falcons Take the First Two Sets
The Falcons jumped all over the Eagles with 25-23 victories in the first two sets of the match. Messiah executed all in all facets of the game to build the early lead against a national-ranked foe. In the opening set, Messiah trailed 13-12 midway through the game, but went on a quick 5-1 run to take a 16-14 lead. After the Eagles battled back and eventually tied the match at 22-22, Messiah went on a 3-1 run with an Alex Kagoro ace and a Conor Stauffer kill highlighting the 25-23 Falcons win.
 
In the set two, Messiah used a blazing start to build an 8-2. Alex Kagoro highlighted the fast beginning with a trio of kills during the run. The Falcons held a 12-5 lead after a block from Jacob Hamm and Ryan Givens, but the Eagles claimed four-straight points and seven of the next eight to pull within one at 13-12. Despite the Eagles pulling close, Messiah was able to hold a slim lead throughout the entirety of the set, eventually claiming the set with a Juniata service error at 25-23.
 
Eagles Fight Back
With the Falcons looking for a sweep, it was Juniata's turn to play with a lead. The Eagles built an 11-7 lead and stayed a step ahead of the Falcons for the entirty of the set. Messiah made it interesting late, pulling within two at 21-19, but four-straight points for the Eagles gave Juniata the set at 25-19.
 
In the fourth, both teams traded points with Messiah holding a slight lead at 13-12 following a 9-5 run. Juniata responded with a 10-4 run and taking a five-point advantage late in the set at 22-17. The Falcons rallied, taking advantage of a pair of errors and a Ryan Givens block to pull within two at 22-20, but Juniata once again closed out the set strong to claim the set, this time by a 25-21 final.
 
By winning the third and fourth sets, Juniata set up a decisive fifth set.
 
Eagles Pull Out the Win
Juniata did not mess around in the fifth and final set, winning seven of the first 10 points to take a 7-3 lead. The Falcons attempted to stay connected with a 4-1 run, but the Eagles responded with a 6-1 streak that gave them match point at 14-8. While Messiah got to double digits with a service error and a Ryan Givens kill, it was not enough as Juan Armando finished a Juniata kill for the 15-10 set victory and the 3-2 win in the match.
 
What's Up Next
Messiah will have a quick turnaround as they host Day Two of the Messiah Invitational tomorrow beginning at 2:00 p.m. There will be two courts of volleyball action taking place in Hitchcock Arena with Messiah playing one match against No. 7 Vassar College at 4:00 p.m. on the main court.