by Christina Roukas

HUNTINGDON, Pa. – The Penn State Altoona men's volleyball team lost to the top-ranked Division III team in the nation on Friday night, falling to No. 1 Juniata College by a 3-0 (25-10, 25-20, 25-9) final score in the opening night of the Eagles Invite at Memorial Gymnasium.

In the first set, Juniata (13-0) started on a 5-0 run, en route to a healthy 12-point lead, 14-2. A tip from Connor Ebersole (Altoona, PA/Bishop Guilfoyle) made it 14-3, followed by two more kills from Ebersole and Avery Farabaugh (Ebensburg, PA/Cambria Heights) to make it 15-5. A back row kill from Farabaugh made it 24-10, but Juniata scored the next point to win the first set by 15 points.

In the second set, Willem Del Priore (Seven Valleys, PA/Dallastown) had a kill and a solo block to help the Lions start the set with a 3-0 scoring streak, but Juniata came back with a 6-0 run to grab a three-point lead. Farabaugh and Alex Ferry (Warren, PA/Warren) combined on a block to keep the Lions within three points, 9-6, and a Juniata attack error on the next point made it a two-point difference. Later, Farabaugh and Ferry's block kept the Lions in the match, decreasing Juniata's lead to 21-18. But the Eagles went on to win the second set 25-20 to lead the match 2-0. 

In the third set, Juniata started by scoring the first seven straight points. The Lions had a hard time putting points on the board, as the Eagles increased their lead to 16-2. Farabaugh scored a kill to make it 18-4, and Farabaugh's hit off the block preceded his ace that made it 19-7. But Juniata won the third set 25-9 to sweep the Lions in the match.

Farabaugh had nine points on seven kills, two block assists, and one service ace for Penn State Altoona. Ebersole added four points on four kills.

Xavier Vang (Rogers, MN/Rogers) totaled 14 assists, and Jeremy Winter (Massapequa, NY/Massapequa) recorded six digs.

Penn State Altoona men's volleyball returns to action in Huntingdon tomorrow, Saturday, February 18, when the Lions wrap up their participation in this weekend's Eagles Invite at Juniata by taking on Elizabethtown College at 3:00 p.m.