WILKES-BARRE – Visiting Widener University posted a 3-0 sweep over the Wilkes University men's volleyball team Tuesday night at the Marts Center. The Pride took the match in straight sets by scores of 25-11, 25-22 and 25-19.
 
Wilkes slipped to 2-7 overall following the home defeat while Widener evened its overall mark at 2-2 on the season.
 
Widener raced out to a 7-0 lead in the first set and never looked back on way to the 25-11 victory. The closes Wilkes came in the set was 15-6 after a Lucas Mages (Buffalo, NY/Iroquois Central) kill. The Colonels only accounted for three team kills in the opening set while Widener hit over .500 percent with 13 kills.
 
The second set played out as the closes of the three as back-to-back service aces from Jackson Shafer (Milford, PA/Delaware Valley) gave Wilkes a 6-5 lead early. Widener answered back and led 19-13 later in the set using an ace and two unanswered kills to hold the six-point advantage. Two straight attack errors by Widener and a L. Mages kill kept Wilkes close trailing 24-22. Widener then sealed the set with a kill on the next serve taking a 2-0 match lead into the third set.
 
Widener held at least a two-point advantage throughout the third set and increased the lead to double-digits up 19-9 following a bad set from Aidan Hunter (Sinking Spring, PA/Wilson). Wilkes rallied off four straight points late including kills from Hunter and L. Mages, but three straight kills from Widener ended the hopes of a full Colonel comeback.
 
Shafer and L. Mages each finished with a team-best five kills. Joshua Conley (Chalfont, PA/Central Bucks South) topped the passing game with eight assist while three different Colonels finished with three digs defensively.
 
Matthew Christ led Widener with a match-high 10 kills.
 
The Colonels return to the court Saturday with a tri-match at Penn State Altoona and Saint Vincent College. Wilkes faces host Penn State Altoona at 12:00 p.m. before a match with Saint Vincent starting at 2:00 p.m.