WILKES-BARRE – The Wilkes University men's volleyball team opened its 2019 season with a 3-0 sweep of Immaculata University at the Marts Center Wednesday night. Eleven different players recorded at least one kill for the Colonels who took the sets 25-14, 25-13, 25-10.

Wilkes is now 2-1 in season openers while Immaculata dropped its program's inaugural match.

With the score tied 3-3 in the first set the Colonels scored the next seven points led by the serving of freshman Ethan Speicher (Midlothian, VA/Cosby). During the run junior transfer Tyler Pittsman (Jefferson Twp, PA/North Pocono) and senior Jones Mensah (Philadelphia, PA/Central) had two kills each while Mensah and junior Cole Hefner (East Greenville, PA/Southern Lehigh) combined for a block. The Wilkes lead would grow to 10 points at 14-4 with freshman JD Kirby (Eastport, NY/Eastport-South Manor) at the service line for the Colonels. The two sides would trade points for the remainder of the set as Wilkes was victorious 25-14.

The second set was again tied 3-3 before Wilkes scored five in a row. Speicher had a kill and three service aces in the run. After the Mighty Macs scored the next three points, Wilkes answered back with the following six to take a 14-6 lead. Kirby and junior Brian Vu (Wantagh, NY/MacArthur) collected kills while sophomore Joseph Gayton (Wilkes-Barre, PA/James M. Coughlin) was strong at the service line. The Colonels lead grew to 19-8 after senior Daniel Sales (Laflin, PA/James M. Coughlin) had a kill followed by one each from Kirby and Speicher and an attack error on Immaculata. Wilkes would close out the second set on a kill by freshman Liam Martinchek (Mountain Top, PA/Crestwood) at 25-13.

Immaculata had the third set tied 5-5 but Wilkes was able to pull away to win the set with 20 of the next 25 points to win 25-10. A Mighty Macs service error gave Wilkes the 6-5 lead and then freshman Alberto Ramon (Allentown, PA/William Allen) served an ace. Fellow freshman Everett Fritz (Ringtown, PA/Hazleton Area) followed on the next point with a solo block and the Colonels never looked back. In a five-point run to make the score 18-8 freshman Mark Piotrowski (Milford, PA/Delaware Valley) collected two kills and combined for a block with Speicher while Sales smashed two aces.

Sales directed the Wilkes offense with 24 assists while also collecting four digs and four aces. Speicher finished with a team-high six kills and added three blocks and four aces. Pittsman registered five kills and three digs in only one set of action. Kirby debuted with four kills, four aces and tied for the match lead with seven digs. Vu also collected seven digs for his career-high mark. Mensah only played the first set and was a perfect 3-for-3 on his attack opportunities.

Garrett Pepper led Immaculata with a match-high seven kills and also had a team-high six digs.

The Colonels travel to Annandale-on-Hudson, N.Y. to take part in the Bard Raptors Invitational on Saturday. Wilkes will face the host Bard College at 12:00 p.m. before meeting D'Youville College at 2:00 p.m.