DALLAS, Pa. - Penn State Altoona men's volleyball opened its 2018 campaign in dominant fashion on Friday night in the Misericordia University Cougar Kickoff Classic, cruising to a pair of 3-0 victories over the College of Saint Elizabeth and Misericordia at the Anderson Center.

The Lions (2-0) started their season against St. Elizabeth (0-2) and rolled to a 25-6, 25-16, 25-15 win. Penn State Altoona posted a .476 attack percentage in the opening set of the match.

Ryan Dry (Douglassville, PA/Daniel Boone) led the Lions in kills with eight. Brian Sheddy (Shrewsbury, PA/Susquehannock) added six kills, and Andrew Taylor (Delmar, NY/Bethlehem Central) and Dan Downs (Reading, PA/Daniel Boone) had three kills each. Taylor also contributed a solo block.

Tommy Kisick (Latrobe, PA/Greater Latrobe) had a team-high 15 assists while also tying for the team lead in service aces with four. Dylan Appleman (Roaring Spring, PA/Central) matched Kisick's total of aces, tallying four in the match. As a team, Penn State Altoona racked up a total of 12 aces, tying for the second-most aces in a single match in Lions volleyball history.

Jonathan Ruhl (Lancaster, PA/Manheim Township) led the Lions in digs with nine.

In its second match of the night, Penn State Altoona handled the host school, Misericordia (1-1), by scores of 25-14, 25-13, and 25-15. In the third set, the Lions posted a match-best .500 attack percentage.

Justin Bannister (Willow Hill, PA/Fannett-Metal) and Downs tied for the team lead in kills with seven each. Bannister added three digs and one solo block, while Downs had one solo block and two block assists to tie for his squad's lead in total blocks. Dry chipped in five kills for the Lions.

Kisick had a team-high 21 assists to go along with four digs and three kills. He also tied Downs for the team lead in total blocks, accumulating one solo block and two block assists.

Brandon Arentz (Mount Wolf, PA/Northeastern) led Penn State Altoona in digs with six while adding three kills and one solo block. Sheddy finished with five digs and three kills.

Penn State Altoona continues play in the Misericordia Classic tomorrow, Saturday, January 20, when the Lions face Neumann University at 11:00 a.m. before wrapping up the weekend with a 1:00 p.m. match against Hiram College.