JERSEY CITY, N.J. – The Wilkes University Colonels men's volleyball squad traveled out of state Saturday for a pair of matches with the Brooklyn Bulldogs and the New Jersey City Gothic Knights.
 
The Colonels (7-6) faced little opposition from the Bulldogs (4-7) in a 3-0 (25-7, 25-21, 25-12) sweep, before falling in a tough 3-1 (25-22, 23-25, 21-25, 23-25) loss to the Gothic Knights (4-2).
 
Wilkes cruised in the first set against Brooklyn College.  They led by 10-0, before leading by 20-3 on their way to a 25-7 set victory.  They faced their stiffest competition in the second set, where the Bulldogs had 3-0 and 5-1 runs to keep pace with the Colonels, down only 11-10.  A 6-1 run by Wilkes put the Bulldogs in a hole they would struggle to recover from.  Brooklyn College would close within 20-18, but wouldn't get any closer as they fell 25-21.
 
The squads traded points early in the third set.  A 10-2 Colonels run would put the set effectively out of reach for the Bulldogs, and a late 11-2 run clinched the set and match for the Colonels.  Junior Andrew Potter (Nazareth, PA/Nazareth) led the Colonels in kills (11) and digs (6) for the match.  Freshman Zach Shay (Bethlehem, PA/Freedom) had 21 assists, while freshman Zach Evans (Nescopeck, PA/Berwick) had eight kills.
 
Wilkes and New Jersey City were neck-and-neck constantly throughout the match.  They traded points, then runs, in the first and sat at 10 all.  A 5-1 run by the Colonels gave them just enough breathing room, and a later 5-1 run put the Colonels in position to take the 25-22 victory.
 
The Colonels would struggle to find their break in the next three sets, losing by no more than four points in the eventual loss.  Wilkes built up a 16-11 lead in the second set, before an 8-1 Gothic Knight run erased the advantage.  A 4-1 Colonel and a 4-0 New Jersey City run saw the Gothic Knights within one point of victory.  A pair of points put the Colonels In striking distance to force extra points but they fell short 25-23. 
 
The Gothic Knights started the third set with an 8-2 advantage.  Wilkes fought back valiantly, as a late 8-2 run would see them within one point in a 21-20 set.  New Jersey City would find another 4-1 run to close out the set.  The Colonels battled back from a 6-2 hole early to take a 13-11 advantage in the fourth, but a 7-1 Gothic Knight run would flip the lead back to the host.  Wilkes replied with a 7-2 run to take a 21-20 lead, but a 5-2 New Jersey City run would seal a tough loss for the Colonels.
 
Evans led the squad with 11 kills, while Potter would finish the second match with 10 kills.  Shay had 34 assists, while sophomore Alberto Ramon (Allentown, PA/William Allen) had 16 digs in the close loss.
 
The Colonels look to bounce back with a trip to Brooklyn, N.Y. at 7:00 p.m. next Tuesday.  They face St. Joseph's College – Brooklyn, who the Colonels defeated 3-0 in their lone match prior to this tilt.