WILKES-BARRE – The Wilkes University men's volleyball team dropped both of its matches during a home non-conference tri-match at the Marts Center on Saturday. SUNY Potsdam won the day's first match 3-1 (16-25, 25-19, 25-16, 25-22) while Penn State Behrend won the final match 3-0 (25-18, 25-9, 25-18).

Wilkes is now 4-6 overall following the pair of losses.

In the first match of the day against Potsdam (5-5), the Colonels opened with a 5-2 lead with help from four errors by the Bears and an ace by Jacob Mages (Buffalo, NY/Iroquois Central). Potsdam would close within one point of the Colonels four times before Wilkes used a 7-0 run to extend its lead to 18-10. During the run Paul Binner (Tunkhannock, PA/Tunkhannock) connected on three kills. The Bears could not close to within less than six points the rest of the way as the Colonels took set one 25-16.

Wilkes again led 5-2 early in the second set but Potsdam used a 6-0 run to take the lead at 8-5. Wilkes would tie the score at eight following two kills by Everett Fritz (Ringtown, PA/Hazleton Area) but then a 7-0 run gave Potsdam breathing room at 17-10. Wilkes would close to within three at 20-17 but Potsdam closed out set two to win 25-19.

The Bears took control of the third set early and never let the Colonels challenge as they went ahead in the match 2-1 with a 25-16 victory.

Wilkes looked to extend the match in the fourth set and led 6-3 following two kills by Fritz. The Colonels continued to lead after a Binner kill made the score 9-6. Potsdam then went on a 10-2 run to take a 16-11 lead, putting the pressure on Wilkes to make a comeback. The Colonels closed to within two points on three times but could not get over the hump as Potsdam won 25-22 to take the match 3-1.

Binner led Wilkes with eight kills while also registering career highs of eight assists and seven digs. Fritz followed with six digs. Casey Shipman (Hershey, PA/Hershey) led with 14 assists and Ethan Speicher (Midlothian, VA/Cosby) had four blocks.

The Colonels never led in the first set against Penn State Behrend (3-4) but tied the score at six on a Noah Taylor (Lumberton, NJ/Rancocas Valley Regional) kill. Wilkes pulled within one at 11-10 following a kill by Fritz and again at 14-13 on a block by J. Mages and Fritz. From there the Lions went on an 11-5 run to close out the set with the 25-18 victory.

Penn State Behrend jumped ahead 9-1 in the second set and never looked back in winning 25-9.

Wilkes grabbed its only lead of the match at 2-1 of the third set but a 5-0 run by the Lions put the visitors ahead 11-5. Penn State Behrend would extend its lead to eventually win 25-18 in the set to complete the sweep.

Fritz led the offense with six kills while Binner added five. Shipman had nine assists while Binner added eight to tie his career high from earlier in the day. Shipman led the Colonels with six digs while Jake Sheldon (Mountain Top, PA/Crestwood) had a career best five.

Wilkes will hit the road for a 7:00 p.m. non-conference match at York College (NY) in Jamaica, N.Y. on Tuesday night.