Lions Sweep Wells for Third AMCC Win
ALTOONA, Pa. – The Penn State Altoona men's volleyball team got back in the win column Friday night, when the Lions posted a three-set victory over visiting Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference opponent Wells College in the Adler Arena.
Penn State Altoona (11-10, 3-3 AMCC) notched its third conference win of the season by taking care of Wells (6-19, 0-6 AMCC) in three sets by scores of 25-17, 25-16, and 25-15.
Avery Farabaugh (Ebensburg, PA/Cambria Heights) had a match-high 15.5 points for Penn State Altoona on 12 kills, two service aces, one solo block, and one block assist, and he also recorded a team-high 10 digs. Connor Ebersole (Altoona, PA/Bishop Guilfoyle) posted 11.5 points on seven kills and a match-best five total blocks, finishing with four solo blocks and one block assist.
Mason Grover (Penfield, NY/Penfield) led all players in the match with 26 assists to go along with six digs, three solo blocks, and two service aces.
Penn State Altoona started the first set by scoring 10 of the first 12 points, getting two kills apiece from Farabaugh and Ebersole, one from Willem Del Priore (Seven Valleys, PA/Dallastown), and a solo block from Ebersole along the way. Wells worked its way back to cut its deficit to two points, 18-16, later in the set, and the Express stayed within three points, 20-17, shortly thereafter. But Penn State Altoona closed the set on a 5-0 run, including scoring the last two points on back-to-back aces from Farabaugh to clinch a 25-17 win.
The Lions again built a strong lead early in the second set. Two Farabaugh kills, one kill from Landen Fisher (Altoona, PA/Altoona), and a pair of Grover aces helped Penn State Altoona get out to a 6-2 advantage. Two Wells points later, the Lions reeled off five straight points that included getting kills from Owen Pratt (Pennsburg, PA/Upper Perkiomen) and Jared Kish (Columbus, OH/Hilliard Darby). A kill and a block from Grover provided consecutive points for Penn State Altoona later in the set, increasing the home team's lead to nine, 17-8. Another Grover block and kills from Fisher and Farabaugh put the Lions' advantage at 20-12, and the Lions scored five more points on Wells errors to finish the set with a 25-16 victory.
Penn State Altoona maintained another steady lead throughout the third set to win it by 10 points. Ebersole started the scoring with a kill, and a Xavier Vang (Rogers, MN/Rogers) kill and Ebersole block helped the Lions to a 3-1 lead. Midway through the set, Penn State Altoona posted a 12-4 scoring advantage over Wells in a 16-point span, capped by a Del Priore kill and two Farabaugh kills that gave the Lions a nine-point lead, 18-9. A solo block by Grover and kills from Vang and Zach Gahagan (Martinsburg, PA/Central) helped boost Penn State Altoona's lead to 10, 22-12, and two Ebersole kills got the Lions to set point, 24-15. Farabaugh and Ebersole teamed up on a block to end the set at 25-15 and seal the sweep for the Lions.
Penn State Altoona men's volleyball hits the road for its next match, as the Lions will travel to play AMCC opponent Hiram College on Wednesday, March 27 at 5:30 p.m.
