by Christina Roukas

LATROBE, Pa. – The Penn State Altoona men's volleyball team won 3-1 against Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference opponent Saint Vincent College on Wednesday night in the Carey Center.

The Lions (10-7, 7-2 AMCC) dropped the first set 25-22 to St. Vincent (3-13, 2-7 AMCC), but they bounced back to win the next three by scores of 25-17, 25-15, and 26-24 to earn their 10th overall win and seventh conference win of the season.  

In the first set, St. Vincent had a good start, but Trey Sadler (Grantville, PA/Lower Dauphin) scored a kill to tie the game 4-4. The Bearcats later took a five-point lead, 12-7, with controlled offense compared to the Lions. Penn State Altoona broke a Bearcat point streak with a kill by Philip Silva (Brazil/Richard Montgomery) to make it 17-10. Silva later scored an ace to lower Altoona's deficit to five, 18-13, followed by a Jared Bodisch (Red Lion, PA/Red Lion) kill that made it 18-14. The Lions continued their scoring streak, as Connor Baker (Red Lion, PA/Red Lion) and Connor Ebersole (Altoona, PA/Bishop Guilfoyle) blocked the ball to make it a two-point score, 18-16. However, the Bearcats took the first set 25-22.

Penn State Altoona came into the second set strong, building a 5-1 lead. Three out of the five points were scored by Jared Kish (Columbus, OH/Hilliard Darby) with three kills. The Bearcats came back, tying the set 7-7. The set score remained close between the two teams, but the Lions created a little space on the scoreboard and took a four-point lead, 14-10. An ace by Sadler put Altoona up by seven, 19-12, and Ebersole scored the set point with a kill that made it 25-17.

In the third set, Bodisch got Penn State Altoona on the board first with a kill, and Silva later scored a kill that put the Lions in a healthy lead, 10-3. Silva scored another kill, followed by an ace by Bodisch, increasing the Lions' advantage to 17-9. A kill by Baker and a St. Vincent attack error closed the set in Penn State Altoona's favor, 25-15.

Penn State Altoona started the fourth set with a 2-0 lead. Sadler scored a kill to put the Lions in a five-point lead 7-2, but the Bearcats came back with a 9-2 run, tying the game 13-13. Later, Ebersole blocked a St. Vincent hit to cut the home team's lead to one, 20-19, and the teams eventually found themselves tied 24-24. However, the Lions collected the next two points on St. Vincent errors, and Penn State Altoona came out victorious, 26-24.

Silva led the Lions with 17 points, 15 kills, and two service aces, and he also had 11 digs. Sadler contributed 13.5 points, 11 kills, two aces, eight digs, and a block assist. Bodisch totaled 12 points on 11 kills and an ace to go along with 13 digs, and Kish had 9.5 points on nine kills and a block assist.

Baker finished with a match-high 44 assists while adding 13 digs, two kills, and one block assist.

Micah Brinker (Lock Haven, PA/PA Cyber) led all players in the match in digs, recording 13. Ebersole had a match-high three total blocks, finishing with two solo blocks and one block assist, and he also had four kills.

Penn State Altoona continues AMCC play in a road tri-match this Saturday, March 19 at Thiel College in Greenville. The Lions take on Thiel to start the day at 12:00 p.m., then face Medaille College at 2:00 p.m.