WILKES-BARRE – The Wilkes University men's volleyball team lost both its matches during its first tri-match of the season against non-conference foes Elizabethtown College and Keuka College at the Marts Center Saturday. Wilkes fell 3-2 (25-21, 25-27, 18-25, 25-21, 10-15) to Elizabethtown in the first match and then 3-1 (20-25, 14-25, 25-19, 20-25) to Keuka in the second match.

Jones Mensah (Philadelphia, PA/Central) recorded a career-high 18 kills while Daniel Sales (Laflin, PA/James M. Coughlin) collected his 14^th career double-double with 37 assists (tied career-high) and 10 digs in the loss to Elizabethtown.

Wilkes dropped to 2-2 overall while Elizabethtown now stands at 2-1 and Keuka at 2-0.

In the opening match against Elizabethtown the Colonels took the first set 25-21. A five-point run helped by kills from Ethan Speicher (Midlothian, VA/Cosby) and Tyler Pittsman (Jefferson Twp, PA/North Pocono) and a block by Mensah and Speicher pushed Wilkes ahead 6-3 early on. Cole Hefner (East Greenville, PA/Southern Lehigh) then served two service aces and Mark Piotrowski (Milford, PA/Delaware Valley) and Speicher combined for a block as the Colonels built a 16-10 lead. The Blue Jays would cut the deficit to two points at 23-21 but a service error on the visitors and then a block by Sales and Speicher ended the set in favor of the home side.

Elizabethtown responded by taking a 4-0 lead in the second set. Wilkes battled back and gained its first lead of the set at 16-15 following a Sales ace. Mensah followed with a kill and a few points later Andrew Potter (Nazareth, PA/Nazareth) served an ace and Mensah put away another kill as the Colonels lead grew to three at 20-17. The Blue Jays went back ahead at 24-23 before a Potter kill extended the match past the 25-point mark. Elizabethtown closed out the set with three of the next four points to win 27-25 and even the match at a set apiece.

The road team led early in the third set before Wilkes took its only lead of the set at 8-7 following a Piotrowski kill. The Blue Jays finished the set with an 18-10 run to go ahead 2-1 in the match with a 25-18 victory.

Wilkes wouldn't go away easily though as the Colonels put together a four-point run to gain a 5-3 lead in the fourth set following a kill by Mensah. Consecutive kills by Piotrowski, Mensah and Speicher made the score 14-11 in favor of the Navy and Gold. After the Blue Jays tied the game 18-18, Pittsman put away a kill to keep the Colonels out front. Elizabethtown gained a one-point lead at 20-19 and then the two sides traded points until the Colonels scored three in a row to take a 24-22 advantage. Mensah then provided the kill to send the match to a fifth an decisive set as Wilkes won set four 25-23.

Things didn't go the Colonels way in the fifth set as they combined to make six attack errors and Elizabethtown took the 15-10 victory to win the five-set thriller. Nick Baxter collected 30 kills for the Blue Jays.

Speicher had career-highs with eight kills and seven blocks. Piotrowski had a career-high eight kills and Pittsman also had eight kills. JD Kirby (Eastport, NY/Eastport-South Manor) led the Wilkes backline defense with a career-best 13 digs.

In the Colonels second match of the day Keuka used a 9-1 run in the middle of the opening set to build a 17-7 lead. Wilkes closed the gap to three points at 23-20 following a Wolves service error but the road team scored the next two points to take set one 25-20.

Keuka then jumped ahead early in the second set and never looked back on its way to winning 25-14.

Wilkes hit its stride in the third set as the Colonels looked for a comeback. With the score tied 16-16 the home team scored the next four points with two coming by way of Pittsman kills and another on a block by Speicher and Sales. Two kills by Speicher kept Wilkes ahead 23-17 and Wilkes matched points with Keuka over the final four to win 25-19.

Looking to push its second match of the day to a fifth set, the Colonels took at 10-9 lead in the fourth set when Hefner and Pittsman combined for a block. The Wolves answered with the next five points however and it was too much for the Colonels to overcome as Keuka closed out the match at 3-1 with a 25-20 win.

Speicher matched his career-high from earlier in the day with eight kills to lead Wilkes. Mensah and Pittsman added seven each. Speicher also led Wilkes with four blocks while Kyle Price (Mountaintop, PA/Crestwood) set a season-high with 10 digs and Kirby added his second double-digit dig effort of the day with 10 as well. Sales directed the offense with 22 assists.

Keuka defeated Elizabethtown 3-2 in the middle match of the day.

The Colonels hit the court again on Wednesday night when they travel to the City College of New York for a 7:00 p.m. match.