GLENSIDE, PA – Host Arcadia University used strong hitting and defensive play on way to a 3-0 sweep of visiting Wilkes University Wednesday night in MAC Freedom play at Alumni Gymnasium. The Knights took the match by scores of 25-11, 25-12 and 25-23.
 
Wilkes dropped to 9-18 overall and 0-8 in MAC Freedom matches following the loss. Arcadia improved to 10-14 overall and 6-3 in league matches after the home win.
 
Arcadia cruised to a 1-0 lead using a .706 hitting percentage in the opening set on way to the win. The Knights then used 12 kills and a .476 hitting percentage in set two taking a commanding 2-0 lead.
 
Wilkes battled back in the third set jumping out to a 3-0 lead early before Arcadia tied the set at five after an attack error. The Colonels then rallied for five straight points to take a 10-5 advantage before the Knights came roaring back to within one trailing 10-9. Ethan Speicher's (Midlothian, VA/Cosby) kill kept the hosts at bay with Wilkes leading 11-9 following the Knights rally.
 
Arcadia then scored seven of the next nine points to take a 16-13 lead before a service ace from Casey Shipman (Hershey, PA/Hershey) and two Arcadia attack errors brought the Colonels to within one at 16-15. Arcadia used some timely hitting and strong defensive play to answer back taking a 23-18 lead before two Colonel service errors gave the Knights the two-point win to clinch the match.
 
Speicher and Jackson Shafer (Milford, PA/Delaware Valley) led Wilkes with three kills each in the match. Paul Binner (Tunkhannock, PA/Tunkhannock) topped the passing game with six assists while Adan Sandoval (Lebanon, PA/Lebanon) finished with a team-high three digs.
 
Wilkes returns to the court Saturday with a tri-match at Stevens Institute of Technology. The Colonels face Alvernia University at 2:30 p.m. in a non-conference tilt before a MAC Freedom matchup with host Stevens at 5:00 p.m.