THE GAME FACTS
Score: Roanoke 3, PSU Altoona 2 (24-26, 25-22, 25-16, 23-25, 15-10)
Records: Maroons 2-2, Lions 0-2
Location: Salem, Va.

The Short Story: The Roanoke College men's volleyball faced off against Penn State Altoona in their first-ever home match and came away with a thrilling five-set win over the Lions in front of over 500 fans. Three Maroons reached double-digit kills, led by Michael Cummins with 17.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Neither team led by more than three at any point in the first set with the Maroons having a 19-16 lead a little more than halfway through the set. With the score all tied up at 23-23, Jackson Rutkowski hit a kill cross-court off an assist from Leo Houser to earn a set point. However, the Lions answered with three-straight points to win the first set 26-24.
• The early part of the second set was much like the first until a 5-0 run by the Maroons put the home team ahead 15-10. That was all the point cushion Roanoke needed as the two teams traded points and did not score more than two in a row the rest of the set as the Maroons held on for a 25-22 set two win and leveled the match at a set a piece.
• The third set was all Maroons as they jumped out to a 10-5 and 15-6 lead on the Lions. Roanoke would lead by 10 at 22-12 including a pair of service aces from Cummins. The two teams traded point for point as Roanoke took a 2-1 set lead with a 25-15 win.
• The Lions leveled the match at 2-2 with a 25-23 set four win after winning the final three points.
• In the deciding, fifth set the Lions claimed the first point, but it was the only point the Maroons trailed. Three-straight points put Roanoke back on top. The Maroons led 8-5 when the teams switched ends of the court with the Lions winning three of the next four points to pull within one at 9-8. After Roanoke won the next two, Altoona called a time-out, but the Maroons won the next point. After a single point for the Lions, Roanoke once again two two-straight for a 14-9 match-point lead. A Lions kill delayed what would be the match-clinching point of a kill by Rutkowski for the 3-2 win.

BY THE NUMBERS

• In addition to Cummins's 17 kills, both Rutkowski (12) and CJ Kingston (11) each reach double-figure kills.
• Houser finished the match with 46 assists, seven more than the Lions had as a team.
• The Maroons had a dominating side of the net with 20 total to just 12 for Altoona. Colin Mendoza led Roanoke with six block assists and one block solo.
• The serving was also a key for the Maroons as they tallied 19 service aces to only one for the Lions.

UP NEXT

• The Maroons will begin a long road swing starting on Friday, January 27 when they travel to Marymount in a non-conference matchup with the Saints. First serve is scheduled for 6 p.m. in Arlington.