Glenside, Pa. (Feb. 12, 2021) - Alvernia University (5-3) picked up two wins on the road with a 3-2 win over Baruch College (1-6) and a 3-1 win over Eastern Mennonite University (2-6) in non-conference men's volleyball action on Saturday at the Arcadia Invitational. 

In match one of the day, Alvernia came from behind to take a 3-2 win over the Bearcats. Alvernia then completed the Saturday sweep with a 3-1 win over the Royals.

In its opening set against Baruch, the Golden Wolves nearly completed a comeback, but the Bearcats were able to survive and came out of set one with a 30-28 win.  The set saw Alvernia trailing 8-2 early, but a 5-0 run off the serve of Ethyn Burczyk put Alvernia within one, 8-7. The run was capped off by back-to-back Tyler Anderson kills, followed by a kill by Caleb Whitehead. 

The Golden Wolves then took its first lead of the set off an attack error by the Bearcats to put Alvernia up 16-15. 

Baruch and Alvernia went back-and-forth in the final stretch of the set, but Alvernia fought off four set points to keep the set going. Alvernia then had a 28-27 advantage following a service error by the Bearcats and an Ian Rauh kill. The Bearcats then rattled off three straight for the 30-28 set win.

Alvernia's defense then shutdown the Bearcats in set two for a 25-11 win over Baruch. After the Bearcats led 3-2 early, Alvernia went on a 6-1 win to jump out to a 9-4 advantage. A kill from Nick Cummins capped off the run.

The Bearcats got back within five, 15-10, but Alvernia ended the set on a 10-1 run for the 25-11 set win. Nine of the 10 points came off the serve of Burczyk.

The back-and-forth continued in set three with the Bearcats edging the Golden Wolves, 25-22. The third set was tight the whole way until the final stretch when the Bearcats tallied three straight to break a 22-22 tie and take a 25-22 set win.

Alvernia then evened the match back up at 2-2 with a 25-16 win in set four. The Golden Wolves jumped out to a 6-2 advantage early, but the Bearcats scored five straight to take an 8-7 advantage. Later in the set, Alvernia went on a 8-1 run of its own to take a 24-15 advantage. The Bearcats held off one set point, but followed that with a service error to close the set out at 25-15 in favor of Alvernia. 

Alvernia then took the tiebreaker set 15-9. A block by Rauh midway through the set put Alvernia up 10-5. Following a service error and a kill by Cummins, Alvernia held a 12-6 advantage. Later in the set, a kill by Caleb Whitehead set Alvernia up for match point, 14-8. Two errors by the Bearcats closed out the set in favor of Alvernia, 15-9.

Anderson led Alvernia with 22 kills on 38 attacks and added 11 digs. Cummins finished with 19 kills on 33 attacks, and Whitehead also finished in double-digits with 16 kills. Burczyk finished with a team-high 34 sets.

In match two of the afternoon, Alvernia jumped out to a 1-0 lead after a 25-12 win in set one. A kill by Christian Mosley opened the match. After EMU came back and tied it at 3-3, Alvernia went on a 7-1 run that included a kill and ace by Anderson to go up 10-4.

Later in the set, Alvernia kept its foot on the gas and a Mosley ace put Alvernia up 20-9. A kill by Shane McNicholas and an ace from Tyler Gray closed out the set in favor of Alvernia, 25-12. 

Alvernia then took a 2-0 match lead with a 25-16 set two win. With EMU leading 5-4 early, Alvernia took the 7-5 lead following kills by Whitehead, Brady Correll, and a block by Mosley. With the match tied at 8-8 , Alvernia then went on a 5-0 run to jump out to a 13-8 lead, and continued to hold its advantage later on in the set, 16-10. The Golden Wolves went on to close out the set with a kill from McNicholas for the 25-16 set win.

Eastern Mennonite then forced a fourth set after narrowly edging Alvernia in the third set, 26-24. 

Alvernia led 8-4 early in the fourth set after an attack error by the Royals, and the Golden Wolves and built its advantage up to six, 16-10, after a Mosely ace.

After the Royals held off match point once, EMU committed a service error to end the set, 25-19, in favor of Alvernia, and match with a 3-1 win for the Golden Wolves. 

Mosley led Alvernia in match two with 19 kills on 28 attacks with three service aces. Both Anderson and Whitehead finished with 12 kills. Brady Correll finished with 48 sets.

Alvernia returns to action on Saturday at Messiah to open its MAC schedule.