GRANTHAM, Pa. – The Penn State Altoona men's volleyball team had its five-match win streak snapped on Wednesday evening, when the Lions lost 3-0 to non-conference opponent Messiah University in Hitchcock Arena.

Messiah (5-4) reeled off wins of 25-17, 25-22, and 25-17 to hand Penn State Altoona (6-5) its first loss since January 27.

Avery Farabaugh (Ebensburg, PA/Cambria Heights) finished with a team-high 14.5 points for Penn State Altoona on 12 kills, two service aces, and a block assist. Jared Kish (Columbus, OH/Hilliard Darby) had five points on four kills and two block assists.

Willem Del Priore (Seven Valleys, PA/Dallastown) and Connor Ebersole (Altoona, PA/Bishop Guilfoyle) tallied 4.5 points apiece, with Del Priore scoring four kills and a block assist and Ebersole having three kills, an ace, and a block assist. Xavier Vang (Rogers, MN/Rogers) totaled a team-high seven digs while recording four points on four kills.

Mason Grover (Penfield, NY/Penfield) led all players in the match with 23 assists to go along with five digs.

After kills by Farabaugh and Grover put the score at 2-2 in the first set, Messiah scored six straight points to establish an 8-2 advantage. The Falcons went on to lead by as many as nine points in the set, and despite two late kills from Farabaugh and one from Vang, Penn State Altoona took a 25-17 loss to start the match.

The second set was much more competitive, but Messiah was still able to grind out a close win. Early in the set, two Ebersole kills and a duo block from Ebersole and Del Priore helped Penn State Altoona to a 4-2 lead. Later, trailing 12-10, the Lions scored three straight points on kills from Vang and Farabaugh and an Ebersole ace to jump ahead, 13-12. After Messiah scored the next three points, Penn State Altoona countered with three more points, including back-to-back aces from Farabaugh that gave his team a 16-15 advantage. One point later, Kish's kill kept the Lions' lead at one, 17-16. But Messiah responded by scoring five of the next six points to grab a 21-18 lead, and the Falcons went on to win the second set 25-22.

In the third set, Penn State Altoona dug itself into an early six-point hole and was unable to come back. Messiah started the set with a 7-1 lead, and the Falcons maintained their six-point cushion midway through the set, creating leads of 14-8, 17-11, and 18-12. A Farabaugh kill and combination block from Farabaugh and Kish narrowed Penn State Altoona's deficit to four, 18-14, and a Del Priore kill kept the difference at four, 19-15. But Messiah closed the set on a 6-2 run, earning a 25-17 victory to wrap up the sweep.

Next up, Penn State Altoona travels to West Virginia this Saturday, February 17, for a non-conference tri-match hosted by Bethany College. The Lions will face Roanoke College at 2 p.m., then take on host Bethany at 4 p.m.