GRANTHAM, Pa. – The No. 6 Messiah Men's Volleyball team was in action on Saturday, March 7 against Widener University and No. 20 Vassar College. Messiah earned the sweep over Widener with set scores of 25-21, 25-19, and 25-15. Alex Kagoro and Tyler McConnell led the Falcons with eight kills each. Jake Eby, Tyler Good, and Todd Snyder each added five. Brandon Sharp dished out 31 assists, while collecting a team-high seven digs and adding a pair of service aces. Against No. 20 Vassar, the Falcons earned the sweep with set scores of 25-19, 25-17, and 25-22. Alex Kagoro led all players with 18 kills while Tyler McConnell added 11. Tyler Good led Messiah with 10 digs while Brandon Sharp added nine while dishing out 40 assists. Todd Snyder tallied four blocks for the Falcons.

The Falcons return to action following spring break, taking on King's College (Pa.) on Jordan Court in Hitchcock Arena at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, March 18.

No. 6 Messiah University - 3 vs Widener University - 0

First Set
After Widener secured the first two points, Messiah scored four straight that included three errors from the Pride and a kill for Alex Kagoro from Brandon Sharp. The teams traded points as Todd Snyder notched a kill. A kill from Jake Eby and one from Tyler McConnell on an overpass extended the Messiah lead to 10-7. After an attack error from the Pride, Widener called a timeout. Out of the break the teams traded points before Todd Snyder and Alex Kagoro added kills for a 15-11 lead. Widener cut the deficit to one before Sharp found Eby and McConnell for kills. A block from Snyder and McConnell gave Messiah a 20-17 lead before the Falcons and Pride traded points through the end of the set. McConnell, Snyder, and Eby tallied kills before Sharp notched a kill to bring the score to 24-21. A block from Jake Eby and Brandon Sharp gave Messiah the 25-21 set one win and 1-0 lead.

Second Set
Tyler McConnell and Todd Snyder opened the second set with a block before Brandon Sharp found Snyder for a kill. Snyder tallied a second kill before combing with Alex Kagoro for a block. Kagoro tallied a pair of kills for a 6-4 Messiah lead. After a service error for the Pride, Tyler McConnell and Jake Eby tallied kills before a four-point run for Widener notched the score at 9-9. Sharp found McConnell for a kill before Seth Graybill notched a service ace and McConnell collected a solo block. After a Pride error, Widener called a timeout, trailing 13-9. Widener tallied a kill out of the break before the Falcons scored five straight with a pair of blocks from Seth Rajnic and Alex Kagoro and a kill for Tyler McConnell from Brandon Sharp. Rajnic added a kill for the 18-10 lead. Kagoro tallied a kill before combing with Rajnic for a block and a 20-12 lead. Bradon Sharp connected with Tyler Good for a kill before the teams traded points. Widener brought the score to 22-18 in favor of the Falcons before Good and McConnell added kills for a 24-18 lead. Brandon Sharp found Jake Eby for a kill, giving Messiah the 25-19 set two win and 2-0 match lead.

Third Set
Messiah opened the third set with a kill for Alex Kagoro from Brandon Sharp before Widener tallied a pair. Kagoro notched a kill before Sharp connected with Seth Rajnic for a kill. Tyler Good tallied a kill before a kill for Widener gave the Pride an 8-5 lead. Messiah scored four unanswered with a kill from Brandon Sharp, a solo block from Seth Rajnic and a pair of Widener errors to tame a 9-8 lead. The Falcons then extended their lead with eight straight points, a run that included two kills for Rajnic, a kill for Kagoro from Good, and a pair of service aces from Sharp. With Messiah holding a 17-9 lead, the teams traded points with Tyler McConnell tallying a kill and Everett Macurda tallying a service ace to take a 21-12 lead. Jonathan Nixon connected with Tyler Good for a kill before Jake Eby and Connor Himelfarb combined for a block to give Messiah a 24-14 lead. The Falcons earned the 25-15 set three win and match sweep when Nixon connected with Himelfarb for a kill.

Stats
Alex Kagoro and Tyler McConnell led the Falcons with eight kills each. Jake Eby, Tyler Good, and Todd Snyder each added five. Brandon Sharp dished out 31 assists, while collecting a team-high seven digs and adding a pair of service aces.

No. 6 Messiah University - 3 vs No. 20 Vassar College – 0

First Set
The teams traded early points with Brandon Sharp connecting with Tyler McConnell and Jake Eby for early kills for the Falcons. After a Vassar service error, a kill for Alex Kagoro gave Messiah a 4-2 lead. Kagoro and Todd Snyder each tallied kills before Sharp connected with Kagoro and Eby to take an 8-6 lead. After the Brewers tied it at 9-9, the teams traded the next ten points. Eby and Snyder each picked up a kill as Kagoro added a pair. After Vassar took a 14-13 lead, Messiah scored four straight that included a kill and service ace from Kagoro, a kill from Tyler Good, and a block from Eby and Good to take a 17-14 lead. The Falcons and Brewers once again traded points with Kagoro tallying one before Tyler McConnell added a pair. The Falcons then scored four unanswered with a kill and service ace from McConnell, a kill from Alex Kagoro, and a second ace from McConnell to take a 24-18 lead. After a Vassar block, Brandon Sharp found Kagoro for the kill to take set one 25-19 for the 1-0 match lead.

Second Set
The Falcons and Brewers continued trading points as play in set two began, with Todd Snyder tallying a pair of kills and Jake Eby and Alex Kagoro combining for a block. Brandon Sharp connected with Kagoro and Tyler McConnell for kills before an error from the Brewers and a service ace for Sean Gillespie gave the Falcons a 9-6 lead. A pair of kills from Kagoro and one from Snyder brought the score to 13-12 in favor of Messiah before Vassar took a 14-13 lead. With Vassar leading 15-14, Messiah tallied nine unanswered points to regain the lead at 23-15. The run saw a pair of kills for Tyler McConnell, a service ace for Sean Gillespie, a block from Brandon Sharp and Todd Snyder, and a block from Sharp, Snyder, and McConnell. After trading service errors, the Brewers tallied a kill and Sharp connected with McConnell for the 25-17 set two win and 2-0 match lead.

Third Set
Brandon Sharp found Tyler McConnell for the opening kill of the third set. A solo block for Todd Snyder and a kill for McConnell gave Messiah a 4-1 lead. Snyder tallied a kill before Sharp connected with Alex Kagoro for a 6-2 lead. Vassar scored three to cut the deficit to one before a block for McConnell and Snyder. A number of errors for the Brewers and a kill for Alex Kagoro from Aidan Dunwoody gave Messiah an 11-8 lead. The teams traded point with Jake Eby notching a kill before a kill for McConnell from Sharp and a kill on an overpass for Snyder brought the score to 15-13 in favor of the Falcons. Kagoro and Snyder tallied kills to extend the lead to 17-14. The teams traded service errors before the Brewers tied it at 19-19. Brandon Sharp connected with Jake Eby for the kill before a kill for Kagoro and error for Vassar gave Messiah a 22-20 lead. Kagoro tallied a kill before Vassar brought it to 23-22 in favor
of the Falcons. A service error from Vassar was followed by a kill for Alex Kagoro from Brandon Sharp to complete the 3-0 sweep with a set score of 25-22.

Stats
Alex Kagoro led all players with 18 kills while Tyler McConnell added 11. Tyler Good led Messiah with 10 digs while Brandon Sharp added nine while dishing out 40 assists. Todd Snyder tallied four blocks for the Falcons.

Up Next
The Falcons return to action following spring break, taking on King's College (Pa.) on Jordan Court in Hitchcock Arena at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, March 18.