Photo (by Cory Maines): Lions' junior Frank Perehinec hits the ball overtop Hiram blockers during Friday night's win in the Adler Arena.
Photo (by Cory Maines): Lions' junior Frank Perehinec hits the ball overtop Hiram blockers during Friday night's win in the Adler Arena.

Lions Defeat Hiram 3-1 for First AMCC Win of ‘19

ALTOONA, Pa. – Penn State Altoona men's volleyball used a well-rounded effort to secure its first Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference win of the 2019 season on Friday night, when the Lions topped Hiram College 3-1 in the Adler Arena.

Penn State Altoona (6-4, 1-1 AMCC) displayed solid offense and defense in the win. On the attack, the Lions recorded 47 kills as a team while limiting themselves to 18 attack errors in four sets. Defensively, the team recorded 50 digs – their second-highest dig total of the season – and finished with seven total blocks.

The Lions won the first set 25-21 before Hiram (3-10, 0-2 AMCC) bounced back to grab a victory in the second set, 25-23. But Penn State Altoona regrouped and took the third and fourth sets by scores of 25-15 and 25-18.

Brian Sheddy (Shrewsbury, PA/Susquehannock) totaled a team-high 12 kills for the Lions, and he also finished with nine digs, two service aces, and one solo block. Ben Beaver (Hummelstown, PA/Lower Dauphin) recorded 11 kills and six digs, and he led Penn State Altoona with two solo blocks and three service aces, tying for the second-most aces in a four-set match in program history. Frank Perehinec (Altoona, PA/Altoona) had 10 kills and finished with a team-best .588 attack percentage, and he also tallied one solo block, one block assist, and one ace.

Dan Downs (Douglassville, PA/Daniel Boone) added five kills, and Daniel Jordan (Pittsburgh, PA/Thomas Jefferson) and Jon Ramsey (Pittsburgh, PA/Shaler) chipped in four kills apiece.

Danny Dry (Douglassville, PA/Daniel Boone) tied for the match-high in assists with 24, and he also contributed six digs. Kyle Whiteman (Northampton, PA/Northampton) recorded 17 assists and six digs. Tyler Chan (Framingham, MA/Framingham) led all players in the match with a season-high 17 digs.

The Lions swung at a .357 clip in the first set, when they won 25-21. Tied 17-17 late in the match, Penn State Altoona got back-to-back kills from Downs and Beaver, plus a Hiram service error, to grab a three-point lead. Jordan's kill put the game at set point, and a Hiram attack error ended it in favor of the Lions.

Hiram was able to grind out a win in the second set. Ramsey's kill helped Penn State Altoona to a 23-21 lead late in the set, but a Lions' service error and block by Hiram tied the score at 23. A setting error and kill wrapped up the set for the Terriers, knotting the match score 1-1.

Penn State Altoona got its momentum back in the third set, during which it posted a .474 attack percentage. Jordan's solo block midway through the set gave the home team a 16-10 lead. The Lions capitalized on Hiram miscues throughout the set, and Penn State Altoona's last three points came courtesy of errors.

The Lions were able to close things out in the fourth set, again working their way to a 16-10 lead by the middle of the set. After a timeout late in the set, Whiteman's kill gave Penn State Altoona a 21-17 lead. Kills from Downs and Ramsey made it 23-18, and a Hiram attack error and ace from Sheddy clinched the win.

Penn State Altoona men's volleyball continues its home stand on Thursday, February 21, when it will host the University of Mount Union for a non-conference match at 7:00 p.m. in the Adler Arena.