Wilkes Men's Volleyball Falls in Home Opener to Elizabethtown

WILKES-BARRE – The Wilkes University men's volleyball team fell 3-1 in its 2022 home opener to Elizabethtown College at the Marts Center on Tuesday evening.

The Colonels are now 1-4 on the season.

Paul Binner (Tunkhannock, PA/Tunkhannock) got Wilkes off and running with a kill on the first play before an attack error and a service ace from Noah Taylor (Lumberton, NJ/Rancocas Valley Regional) gave the Colonels an early 3-0 lead. Elizabethtown responded by closing the set highlighting with a 15-8 run after Wilkes held a 13-10 lead, taking set one 25-21.

Set two started with the Blue Jays jumping out to a 8-5 lead before Elizabethtown went on 13-8 run to close the set, jumping out to a 2-0 lead after taking the second set 25-13.

Wilkes began the third set holding a 9-6 lead, jumping out 12-7 and forcing the Blue Jays into a timeout. Elizabethtown closed the lead to 13-11 before the Colonels took the advantage again with a 5-1 run forcing the Blue Jays into their final timeout of the set with an 18-12 lead.  Wilkes closed the set outscoring Elizabethtown 7-4 to secure the set 25-16 and cut the match deficit to 2-1.

The Blue Jays took a 10-4 lead in set four forcing the Colonels into a timeout. Elizabethtown took set four 25-14 to clinch the match.

Wilkes' attack was led by Ethan Speicher (Midlothian, VA/Cosby), who finished with nine kills to go with four blocks. Binner and Taylor finished with five kills apiece while Zach Shay (Bethlehem, PA/Freedom) and Casey Shipman (Hershey, PA/Hershey) finished with 11 and 10 assists, respectively. Adan Sandoval (Lebanon, PA/Lebanon) totaled eight digs.

The Colonels return to action on Saturday when the host Mount Aloysius and Bard for a non-conference tri-match, with Wilkes' first match beginning at 5:30 p.m.