DALLAS, PA – A little more than 12 hours removed from a five-set match against Regis College in which the outcome was still to be determined due to a protest by the Colonels coaching staff, the Wilkes University men's volleyball team dropped a close three-set match to No. 16 Misericordia University by set scores of 25-19, 25-21, and 25-20. Saturday afternoon.

Wilkes dropped to 13-7 overall with the loss, and the loss to Regis becoming official, while Misericordia, who is nationally ranked in the latest AVCA poll, improved to 16-7 overall.

The Cougars led 15-6 in the first set before the Colonels closed the gap late to 24-19 following kills by Lucas Mages (Buffalo, NY/Iroquois Central) and Jackson Shafer (Milford, PA/Delaware Valley). Misericordia found the final point it needed to win the set 25-19 to go up 1-0.

Wilkes tied the second set at 15-15 following a Jacob Mages (Buffalo, NY/Iroquois Central) block but a 7-2 run by the hosts put the game in their favor as the Cougars took a 2-0 lead with a 25-21 set win.

Misericordia raced out to a 13-5 lead in the third set, but Wilkes fought back to make the score 18-15 following three-straight points on a triple block by L. Mages, Zach Shay (Bethlehem, PA/Freedom), and J. Mages, a service ace from L. Mages, and a kill by Noah Taylor (Lumberton, NJ/Rancocas Valley Regional) as part of a 10-5 run. The Cougars outscored the Colonels 7-5 from there to win the third set 25-20 and take the match 3-0.

Taylor led Wilkes with seven kills and 11 digs. Paul Binner (Tunkhannock, PA/Tunkhannock) and Shafer added six kills and Shay had 20 assists. Binner contributed three aces and J. Mages three blocks.

Jared Piontkowski led Misericordia with 16 kills while Gannon DeFrain had 33 assists and Alex Furlong eight digs.

In the match from Friday night at the Marts Center against Regis, the Colonels saw Shafer set the program record for a single match with 27 kills and 29 points while Shay had the single match record with 56 assists during the 3-2 loss.

Wilkes is back in action on Wednesday when the Colonels host Elizabethtown College at 7:00 p.m.