WILKES-BARRE, PA. – The Wilkes University men's volleyball team and the King's Monarchs met for the very first time at King's Wednesday night for a Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) showdown.
 
The Colonels' (10-9, 1-3 MAC) valiant comeback effort fell just short of forcing a fifth set against the Monarchs (6-6, 1-4) in a 3-1 (21-25, 23-25, 25-17, 25-27) loss.
 
King's went on a 7-1 run in the early goings of the match, but the Colonels fought back chunk by chunk thanks to key kills from freshman Zach Evans (Nescopeck, PA/Berwick) to cut the lead to 12-11.  The local squads battled back and forth trying to take the advantage in the set, before another 7-2 run effectively put the set firmly in King's hands.
 
Neither team ceded much ground in the early second set, with neither squad leading by more than two points throughout the set as they sat tied at 11.  The Monarchs found the first opening, a 7-2 run, before the Colonels responded with a 8-0 run off of sophomore Ethan Speicher's (Midlothian, VA/Cosby) serve to take a 21-18 edge.  Wilkes' momentum sputtered as King's went on another 7-2 run to take a tough 25-23 victory.
 
The Monarchs opened the third with a 7-3 advantage, before the Colonels erased it with a 4-0 run.  After the squads traded points, Evans took over the set.  In a 7-0 run that set the tone for the Colonels eventual set victory, Evans recorded a pair of kills and a pair of service aces to give Wilkes a 15-9 advantage.  King's would muster one last major barrage in the set off of a 7-3 run, but a 7-1 run fueled by four Evans kills sealed the set for the Colonels and kept the comeback alive.
 
The Monarchs stormed out of the gates in the fourth set with a 10-0 run, but a 6-1 Colonel run would leave them sitting within striking distance at 11-9.  Kings would go on a 4-1 run after the two exchanged volleys to take a 20-16 edge, eventually building the lead to 24-19.  The Colonels refused to roll over, as they went on a 6-0 run off of Evans serves to force extra points.  A 3-0 Monarchs run with a pair of blocks would seal the match for the Monarchs.
 
Evans set career highs in kills (21), points (25), aces (four), and digs (13) on the night.  He led the Colonels in all four categories as well.   Senior Cole Hefner (East Greenville, PA/Southern Lehigh) had four blocks on the night to lead the Colonels, while freshman Zach Shay (Bethlehem, PA/Freedom) had 44 assists, three shy of his career high.
 
The Colonels continue their season with a tri-match against MAC foe Messiah at 11 a.m. and John Jay at 3:00 p.m. at the Marts Center Saturday.