WILKES-BARRE – The Wilkes University men's volleyball team dropped both ends of its tri-match, first in a Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) match to Arcadia University 3-1 (17-25, 27-25, 15-25, 21-25) and then to No. 12 Juniata College in a non-conference match 3-0 (17-25, 12-25, 16-25).

With the losses Wilkes dropped to 8-12 overall and to 0-3 in the MAC. Arcadia improved to 6-9 overall and to 3-1 in the conference with the win while nationally ranked Juniata moved to 16-3 overall.

After dropping the first set 25-17 to Arcadia to start the day the Colonels responded in a big way in the second set. Wilkes fell behind 9-5 but used a 6-2 run to take an 11-10 lead. During the run Ethan Speicher (Midlothian, VA/Cosby) had a solo block and a service ace. The lead would change hands four times eventually with Wilkes taking a 19-17 lead. A Noah Taylor (Lumberton, NJ/Rancocas Valley Regional) kill kept Wilkes up 21-19 but then the Knights used a 4-1 run to go ahead 23-22. Wilkes got to a set point at 24-23 but then Arcadia earned a set point at 25-24. A Knights service error followed by back-to-back kills by Paul Binner (Tunkhannock, PA/Tunkhannock) and Lucas Mages (Buffalo, NY/Iroquois Central) earned the Colonels the set victory at 27-25.

Arcadia then put away the match with wins in the third (25-15) and fourth (25-21) sets to win 3-1.

Binner led Wilkes with six kills. Zach Shay (Bethlehem, PA/Freedom) had nine assists and eight digs. Defensively, Speicher led the way with six blocks and Adan Sandoval (Lebanon, PA/Lebanon) had 10 digs.

In the second match No. 12 Juniata controlled the match on its way to the sweep.

Binner again led Wilkes with six kills in the match. Casey Shipman (Hershey, PA/Hershey) had 10 assists and Sandoval had five digs.

Wilkes returns to the court next Wednesday hosting No. 6 Stevens Institute of Technology for a MAC match inside the Marts Center at 7:00 p.m.