Lions Swept in Home Opener
ALTOONA, Pa. – The Penn State Altoona men's volleyball team held its first home match of the 2023 season on Friday night in Adler Arena, where visiting non-conference opponent Stevenson University posted a 3-0 victory over the Lions.
Stevenson (3-5) prevailed in three sets by scores of 25-17, 25-19, and 25-14.
Penn State Altoona (0-6) was led in points by Willem Del Priore (Seven Valleys, PA/Dallastown), who finished with seven points on a team-high six kills while serving one ace. Avery Farabaugh (Ebensburg, PA/Cambria Heights) had 5.5 points on three kills, one ace, one solo block, and one block assist.
Connor Ebersole (Altoona, PA/Bishop Guilfoyle) and Jared Kish (Columbus, OH/Hilliard Darby) recorded five points apiece for the Lions. Ebersole had a team-best three total blocks, finishing with two block assists and one solo block, to go along with two kills and an ace. Kish totaled four kills and an ace while tallying four digs. Alex Ferry (Warren, PA/Warren) chipped in one kill and one block assist.
Xavier Vang (Rogers, MN/Rogers) recorded 15 assists while also contributing two digs and one service ace.
Jeremy Winter (Massapequa, NY/Massapequa) ended with a team-high five digs.
Penn State Altoona overcame a 3-1 deficit in the first set by going on a 4-1 run, capped by a duo block from Ebersole and Ferry that put the Lions up 5-4. But Stevenson scored four straight points after that to reclaim their lead, 8-5. Trailing by four points later in the set, Penn State Altoona used a Del Priore ace and a Stevenson attack error to pull back to within two, 14-12. But the Mustangs embarked on another 4-0 run to widen their lead to 18-12, and the visitors continued to pull away to win the opening set by 11 points.
Stevenson capitalized on a Penn State Altoona service error and three attack errors to secure a 4-0 lead in the second set. A kill from Ferry and ace by Kish helped the Lions get back to within one, 5-4, but Stevenson scored the next four points in a row to expand its lead to five. Penn State Altoona got to within three points several times, including after a Del Priore kill that lowered the Mustangs' lead to 20-17. But Stevenson won five of the next seven points to take a six-point victory in the second set.
Penn State Altoona kept things close in the third set until the latter stages, when Stevenson pulled away for good. An Ebersole and Ferry block put the Lions up 5-4 early, and Ebersole and Farabaugh combined for a block that kept Penn State Altoona within two points of a Stevenson lead, 8-6. An ace from Del Priore preceded a Stevenson attack error that kept the difference at two, 14-12, later in the set, but the Mustangs outscored Penn State Altoona 11-2 the rest of the way to claim the set by 11 and clinch the match win.
Penn State Altoona men's volleyball returns to action tomorrow, Saturday, February 4, making the short drive east to Huntingdon to compete in the Juniata College Invitational. The Lions will face No. 8 ranked St. John Fisher University in their lone match of the day, which is scheduled to start at 5:00 p.m.
