by Casey Burinskas

HAMBURG, N.Y. – Penn State Altoona men's volleyball closed its weekend road trip with a win on Saturday afternoon, when the Lions earned a 3-2 victory over Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference opponent Hilbert College in the Hafner Recreation Center.

Penn State Altoona (10-9, 2-2 AMCC) pulled out a five-set win over the Hawks (5-12, 1-3 AMCC) in a closely contested match. The Lions took the opening set 25-15, before Hilbert came back with a 25-20 victory in the second. Penn State Altoona went back on top with a 25-19 triumph in the third set, but the Hawks evened the match score with a 25-22 win in the fourth.  The Lions clinched the match win with a 15-10 victory in the fifth set.

Avery Farabaugh (Ebensburg, PA/Cambria Heights) put up a match-high 23 points on 21 kills and four block assists. Connor Ebersole (Altoona, PA/Bishop Guilfoyle) had 15 points on 11 kills and a match-best eight block assists, a total that ties for the second-most block assists in a match by a Lions player in team history.

Willem Del Priore (Seven Valleys, PA/Dallastown) contributed 14.5 points on 11 kills, five block assists, and one solo block, and he added nine digs. Jared Kish (Columbus, OH/Hilliard Darby) recorded 7.5 points on seven kills and a block assist.

Mason Grover (Penfield, NY/Penfield) tallied a match-high 44 assists to go along with seven digs, a team-best three service aces, and two block assists.

Owen Pratt (Pennsburg, PA/Upper Perkiomen) notched a team-high 10 digs while also finishing with five kills, and Xavier Vang (Rogers, MN/Rogers) had nine digs while chipping in a kill.

The Lions were first to put points on the board in the opening set with a kill from Kish. Following a Hilbert kill, five more Altoona points were added with kills from Ebersole, Del Priore, and Farabaugh, with two attack errors from the Hawks. With two more attack errors coming from Hilbert, along with a Farabaugh kill, the Lions were able to swing a strong lead of 9-2 quickly in the first set. With another kill from Kish, received from Grover, and a kill from Ebersole, Altoona increased its lead to 17-8. One more kill from Pratt, coming from Del Priore, placed the Lions' total at 22 points. Holding the lead at 22-12, two kills from Farabaugh and a final kill from Kish gave the Lions the first set by a final score of 25-15.

Altoona began the second set with a 3-1 lead, thanks to a service error and attack error coming from Hilbert, along with a Del Priore kill, assisted by Farabaugh. The Hawks jumped ahead by four, 9-5, but efforts from Pratt and Del Priore, who each scored kills, left the Lions only one point behind Hilbert, 11-10. Another kill from Farabaugh also landed the Lions close behind the Hawks' lead, 15-14. One point later, Grover and Kish teamed up on a block to keep the deficit at one, 17-16. But late kills from Kish and Farabaugh were not enough, as Hilbert took the win in the second set, 25-20.

Penn State Altoona started the third set on a strong note. A kill by Del Priore, from Grover, started it off, and a kill from Ebersole made it 2-1. Two errors from Hilbert also gave the Lions a boost, and a block from Del Priore and Ebersole helped Altoona to an 8-1 lead. Later, kills by Ebersole and Farabaugh, both assisted by Grover, made it 11-8, and a kill from Pratt gave the Lions a lead of 13-8. Hilbert was quick to respond, scoring a few points to cut the Lions' lead to two, 17-15. Altoona responded with a run to go up by six points, 22-16, getting kills from Ebersole and Del Priore along the way. A kill from Ebersole, a Hawks attack error, and a service error by Hilbert gave the Lions their final three points of the set, and Altoona won the third, 25-19.

Starting the fourth set, Altoona scored the first point on a block by Del Priore and Ebersole. A kill from Farabaugh gave the Lions a 2-1 lead, and another Farabaugh kill put the Lions ahead 6-2. Hilbert came back to take the lead later in the set, eventually working its way to a 24-20 advantage. Two Hilbert errors made it 24-22, but the Hawks got a kill to win the fourth set, 25-22, and leave the match score at 2-2.

In the fifth set, Vang scored the first point on a kill, and a kill from Ebersole put the score at 2-2. Three kills from Farabaugh and a pair of duo blocks by Ebersole and Farabaugh put Altoona up 7-3, and another Ebersole kill gave the Lions a lead of 8-4. Kills from Farabaugh, Pratt, and Del Priore got Altoona to an 11-6 advantage, and with the score 14-10 later in the set, a final kill from Ebersole gave the Lions a win in the set and the match.

Penn State Altoona men's volleyball returns to campus for two AMCC matches at home. The Lions will host Saint Vincent College on Wednesday, March 20, at 7 p.m., before playing Wells College on Friday, March 22, at 7 p.m.