Men's Volleyball Defeats D'Youville

Men's Volleyball Defeats D'Youville

ERIE, Pa.  – The Penn State Behrend men's volleyball team swept D'Youville for the second time this season, earning a 25-16, 25-18 and 25-11 victory in non-conference action on Thursday night at the Junker Center.

The Lions (9-8) have now won four straight against the Spartans (4-11), including a 3-0 decision back on January 31. Dillon Hildebrand (Red Lion, PA/Red Lion) tallied 10 kills, seven digs and three blocks while Anthony Sprentz (Cranberry Township, PA/Seneca Valley) added 27 assists, five digs and four kills.

As a team, Behrend tallied a season low with just 15 errors. The Lions hit .444 in the first set with 14 kills on 27 attempts and just two errors for a nine-point victory. Tied at 6-all, Behrend won six straight points behind the serving of JP Goodsel (Corry, PA/Corry). Two kills by Hildebrand and an ace from Goodsel made it 12-6. The Lions doubled their points to grab a 10-point lead at 24-14 after a kill from Cody Geis (Mechanicsburg, PA/Cumberland Valley) and Sprentz. D'Youville on the next two points, before Geis knocked in the set-winning kill at 25-16.

The Spartans started with a 6-1 run in the second, forcing a Behrend timeout. Three offensive points and six D'Youville errors later, the Lions had the match even at 10-all. The Spartans kept a small two-point lead until 16-all and Behrend reeled off nine of the next 11 points for a 25-18 win.

Four consecutive kills in the third set helped the Lions build a 5-1 lead that would not relinquish. A pair of blocks by Geis pushed the lead to 11-4 and a pair of aces from Hildebrand stretched the lead to 16-9. Behrend won the final six points to close out the match 25-11.

Geis ended with six kills on eight attempts (.625) and Joey Reynolds (Saegertown, PA/Saegertown) added four kills. Robert McMaster (North Huntingdon, PA/Norwin) led with 11 digs and dished out four assists, while Tyler Herrmann (Cranberry Township, PA/Seneca Valley) registered six kills and five digs.

The Lions return to action on Saturday at Penn State Altoona at 1 p.m.