ALTOONA, Pa. – The Penn State Altoona men's volleyball team won the opening set of Saturday afternoon's Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference match in the Adler Arena, but visiting Hilbert College bounced back to win the next three sets to take the match by a 3-1 score.

The Lions (3-18, 3-7 AMCC) earned a 25-19 victory in the first set, but Hilbert (7-13, 4-5) prevailed in the next three sets by scores of 25-21, 25-22, and 25-12.

Jared Kish (Columbus, OH/Hilliard Darby) led Penn State Altoona in points and kills, finishing his day with 14 points, 12 kills, nine digs, and four block assists. Willem Del Priore (Seven Valleys, PA/Dallastown) had 11.5 points on eight kills, three block assists, and a team-high two service aces while adding 10 digs.

Avery Farabaugh (Ebensburg, PA/Cambria Heights) and Connor Ebersole (Altoona, PA/Bishop Guilfoyle) had eight points apiece for the Lions. Farabaugh posted eight kills while also tallying a team-high 13 digs, and Ebersole had four kills and a team-best six total blocks, recording four block assists and two solo blocks.

Xavier Vang (Rogers, MN/Rogers) notched 28 assists to go along with 11 digs and a solo block.

Jeremy Winter (Massapequa, NY/Massapequa) had 10 digs.

Penn State Altoona played its way into a strong lead during the first set, as the Lions started the match with a victory. Up 8-6, Penn State Altoona embarked on a 7-1 run that included two kills from Ebersole, one kill apiece from Farabaugh and Kish, and an ace by Del Priore. Later, Kish's kill got the home team to a nine-point advantage, 21-12. Hilbert scored the next four points to narrow its deficit to five, but Penn State Altoona held its ground to win the first set 25-19.

The Lions led early in the second set, before Hilbert went on a run to jump in front. A kill by Alex Ferry (Warren, PA/Warren) put Penn State Altoona up 8-6, but the Hawks proceeded to outscore the Lions 9-4 over the next 13 points to establish a 15-12 advantage. The visitors got their lead as high as five the rest of the way, ultimately winning the second set 25-21 to even the match score.

In the third set, Penn State Altoona again held a lead, before Hilbert rallied to erase its deficit and take the set. The Lions got out to an 11-7 lead, highlighted by four kills from Farabaugh. But the Hawks turned the tables on Penn State Altoona with a 7-1 run, then boosted their lead to five, 21-16, later in the game. The Lions reeled off four straight points to make it 21-20, using two kills from Del Priore, one kill from Kish, and a duo block from Ferry and Kish to trim Hilbert's lead to one. But the Hawks never relinquished their lead, outscoring Penn State Altoona 4-2 the rest of the way to win the third set 25-22.

Hilbert posted a dominant performance in the fourth set to win it 25-12. The Hawks started out to a 6-1 lead and grew their advantage throughout the game. A kill from Del Priore kept Penn State Altoona within five points, 12-7, midway through the set, but Hilbert scored 13 of the next 18 points to win the set by a comfortable margin and claim victory in the match.

Next up, Penn State Altoona men's volleyball will look to snap its three-match skid on the road Wednesday, March 29, when the Lions will travel to play nearby AMCC foe Mount Aloysius College at 7 p.m.