ERIE, Pa. - The No. 19 nationally ranked Baldwin Wallace University men's volleyball team competed at the Penn State Behrend Tri-Match where it defeated Penn State Behrend by a score of 3-2 but fell to No. 5 nationally ranked St. John Fisher (N.Y.) by a score of 3-0 at the Junker Center.
BW (3-1) opened the tri-match by taking down Penn State Behrend (1-5) in a thrilling five-set match by set scores of 25-21, 25-21, 20-25, 11-25, and 15-11. The Yellow Jackets then fell to St. John Fisher (7-0) in straight sets by scores of 17-25, 21-25, and 20-25.
at Penn State Behrend
- Senior Academic All-Midwest Collegiate Volleyball League outside hitter Nick Irelan (London/Olentangy Liberty) led the Yellow Jackets with a career-high 20 kills and 11 digs
- Junior right-side hitter Carson Junker (Massillon/Jackson) notched a new career-high 38 assists
- Senior Academic All-MCVL libero Payton Reed (Hilliard/Darby) and junior Academic All-MCVL outside hitter Marquis Kelly (Surprize, Ariz./Willow Canyon) each added nine digs
- Freshman middle hitter Chris Uzor (McKinney, Texas/Jesuit College Preparatory) finished with four kills and three block assists in his collegiate debut
- Senior Academic All-MCVL right-side hitter Nick Mazzone (Springboro/Bishop Fenwick) recorded nine kills
- Kelly also tallied 11 kills
- Senior All-MCVL setter Brandon Long (Hinckley/Metea Valley [Ill.]) assisted 11 times in his first game back from injury
- Freshman middle hitter Michael Mihalov (North Huntingdon, Pa./Norwin) and freshman defensive specialist Jack Sullenberger (Powell/Olentangy Liberty) also played their first career game for the Brown and Gold
vs. No. 5 St. John Fisher
- Long got his first start of the season and recorded 31 assists
- Senior All-MCVL outside hitter Michael Beard (Hilliard/Darby) tallied 13 kills and six digs
- Sophomore libero Aiden Kim (Bothell, Wash./North Creek) had a team-high seven digs
- Freshman outside hitter Daniel Latham (Westerville/Westerville Central) added seven kills and five digs
- Sophomore Academic All-MCVL middle hitter Josh Steinitz (Towson, Md./Friends School of Baltimore) totaled six kills with a hitting percentage of .600
- Junior middle hitter Reed Fisher (Freedom, Pa./Ambridge Area) led the team in blocks with two solo and one assist
The Yellow Jackets return to the court on Saturday, February 3 as they host two non-conference matches against Geneva (Pa.) College at 10:30 a.m. and No. 16 nationally ranked Benedictine (Ill.) College at 3:30 p.m. in Ursprung Gymnasium inside the Lou Higgins Center.
