SPRINGFIELD, Ohio – The Penn State Behrend men's volleyball team posted a 1-2 record in the season-opening 2018 Jim Coleman Invitational at Wittenberg University this weekend.
The Lions (2-1) opened the season with a 29-27, 25-23 and 31-29 win over Cincinnati Christian and then fell to ninth-ranked Carthage, 3-0 (25-22, 25-15, 25-17) on Friday night. Behrend dropped a 3-0 decision to Southern Virginia today (25-16, 25-21, 25-16).
In three matches, Tyler Herrmann (Cranberry Township, PA/Seneca Valley) led with 24 kills combined while Dillon Hildebrand (Red Lion, PA/Red Lion) added 23 kills and Anthony Sprentz (Cranberry Township, PA/Seneca Valley) dished out 53 assists.
Against Cincinnati Christian, Cody Geis (Mechanicsburg, PA/Cumberland Valley) hit .438 with nine kills on 28 attempts while making five blocks. Sprentz tallied 24 assists and Josh Mathews (Rochester, NY/Churchville-Chili) tallied nine digs.
In the first set, the Lions were down 24-23 and in jeopardy of falling early in the match. A Geis kill made it 24-all but the Eagles got a kill from Phillip Andrews for set point. Sprentz knocked down a kill to make it even again and Behrend took the lead off an attack error at 26-25.
Cincinnati Christian tied it once again thanks to Andrews and then the Lions had set point once again off another attack error. Behrend won the final two points off a service and attack error at 29-27.
The Lions never trailed in the second set, jumping out to a 21-12 lead off a Herrmann kill. The Eagles slowly chipped away at the lead and got within two at the end of the set, however Hildebrand got the set-winning kill of an assist from Herrmann for a 25-23 victory.
The third set was as close as the first, going into extra points and going in Behrend's favor in the end at 31-29.
Hildebrand and Herrmann led the Lions against Carthage, recording seven kills each. Against Southern Virigina, Mathews registered eight assists and five digs. Herrmann knocked down a team-best nine kills, while Sprentz added 16 assists and five digs.
Behrend returns to action on Friday at Hiram. Match begins at 6 p.m.