CRESSON, Pa. -- The Mount Aloysius men's volleyball program split their games in this season's opening tri match against the Lynchburg Hornets (2-0) and the Wilson Phoenix (0-3). Senior Matthew Franz (Johnstown, Ohio, Bishop Hartley) would lead the Mounties in kills, putting up 44 across both games. 

Game 1 (Lynchburg)

The Mounties would open their day against Lynchburg, marking themselves as the first opponent for Hornet's men's volleyball in their inaugural season. Despite consistent pressure from the Mounties, Lynchburg would carve out a 18-14 lead as the first set came to a close. Both teams struggle to find consistency on serve, breaking up potential runs with early service errors. Despite a late push from the Mounties to bring the deficit to two with only a few points remaining, service errors would seal the host team's fate, ending the first in a 21-25 loss. 

The second set would prove similar to the first, with Lynchburg again grinding out a 19-13 lead late in the proceedings. Set up by sophomore Evan Schmidt (Loganville, Pa. , Dallastown Area), Franz would push the Mounties back into the game with four straight kills, bringing the score within two. Once again, service errors would prove the Mounties' weakness, giving up key points late en route to a 20-25 second set finish. 

The third set would also see the Mounties fall into a hole late in the game, with Lynchburg earning a 19-14 advantage heading in to the final stretch. A final push by Lynchburg would put the Hornets up seven at 22-15, and the Mounties would prove unsuccessful in forming a comeback amidst the service struggles, falling 25-18 in the third. 

Game 2 (Wilson)

Struggling to shake off the Lynchburg loss, the Mounties would start the game slow, dropping the first set 20-25 after giving up a five-point run late in the set. The second set would see the Mounties struggle to put attacks on target, committing four attack errors across a seven point stretch to put the Phoenix at a five point advantage early. Despite a late game push aided by strong serving from freshman Zach Rosenwald (Pittsburgh, Pa., Shaler), the Mounties would again come up short, committing a service error late to drop the second 23-25. 

Shaking off the previous sets, the Mounties would find a rhythm in the third. Tied at 8-all, the Mounties would win seven of the next eight points, helped by strong serving from senior Andrew Wlodarczyk (East Aurora, N.Y., East Aurora). A late series of attack errors would give the Phoenix a chance to take the match, with Wilson serving to stay in the set at 23-24. Making the most of the opportunity, Wlodarczyk would put the set away off a Schmidt set, pushing the match to a fourth set. 

The fourth would stay close late into the game, with neither team able to find daylight until late in the set. The Mounties would pick up all of the momentum tied at18-all, where solid team play both offensive and defensively would earn the hosts seven of the last eight points of the set, emphatically forcing the fifth set. The final points would be largely decided by serving, with Rosenwald and Franz serving to help put the Mounties up 11-5 behind a 7-of-8 point run. Struggling to keep up with the energized Mounties, the Phoenix would fall on a final Rosenwald kill, with the Mounties claiming victory 15-11. 

Up Next

The Mounties return to action this Tuesday, Jan 21, against Geneva College. The Golden Tornadoes enter the contest 0-1, coming off a 0-3 loss to the University of Mount Union.