Men’s Volleyball falls to Geneva in four-set AMCC match

PITTSBURGH --- Carlow University men's volleyball lost a four-set AMCC match to Geneva College inside St. Joseph Athletic & Fitness Center gym Wednesday night.

The Golden Tornadoes (15-14, 4-3 AMCC) took the first two sets, 25-14 and 25-19, before the Celtics (3-14, 0-6 AMCC) won the third set, 25-17. Geneva scored a comeback, win-by-two victory in the fourth set, 26-24.

Will Piccolino led the Celtics with a game-high 15 kills, and Russ Cyprowski recorded a double-double with 12 kills and 14 digs. James Stone and Logan Alexander combined for 24 digs in the effort.

Geneva jumped out to an 11-3 advantage enroute to a 25-14 first set win to start the match.

The Golden Tornadoes led 6-3 to begin the second set before Carlow before a kill from Piccolino and four attacking errors in a row handed the Celtics a 7-6 lead.

The lead was short-lived as a kill tied the game at 7-all, but Geneva hit one of its 19 service errors on the day to give Carlow a one-point lead once again.

The teams traded marginal leads until the Golden Tornadoes went on a 10-2 run to extend their advantage to 19-12, prompting a Carlow timeout.

The Celtics tried to battle back, but Geneva won the second set 25-19 to go ahead, 2-0, in the match.

Carlow jumped out to a 9-2 lead in the third set, keeping Geneva at bay the entire time to win the third set, 25-17, and force a fourth.

The Golden Tornadoes maintained a marginal lead throughout the fourth set, ahead 22-17 toward the end of the set. A Geneva attack error set off a five-point run for the Celtics that tied the game at 22-all.

Back-to-back errors by Carlow handed Geneva a 24-22 set- and match-point lead before two kills in a row from Piccolino tied the game again at 24-all; however, Geneva won the set and the match with two kills in a row to end the game.

Owen Kelley tallied 14 kills and 10 digs, and Matthew Thoman contributed 10 kills for the Golden Tornadoes. Andrew Ubinger and Joshua Sangrey combined for 21 digs, and Geneva hit 10 service aces on the night.

The Celtics hit the road for a tri-match at Wells (N.Y.) College March 30.