WILKES-BARRE – The Wilkes University men's volleyball team kicked off a three-match weekend Friday afternoon at the Marts Center, falling to Virginia Wesleyan University 3-1 by scores of 25-20, 20-25, 25-17, and 25-14.

The Colonels fall to 4-8 on the year with the defeat, while the Marlins improve to 4-2 overall.

An early four point run by VWU gave them a 9-6 lead in the first set, but Wilkes fought back with a 7-4 run to tie the set at 13. The two teams traded points back and forth in a close set, but a late 3-0 run by the Marlins helped set them up with a 22-19 lead and a 25-20 set win.

In the second set, the Colonels fought back from being down 11-6 to tying the game at 12 all with two kills from Jackson Shafer (Milford, PA/Delaware Valley) leading the way. The Colonel offense then went on three separate 3-0 runs across the rest of the set to take the victory 25-20. Shafer led the team with five kills in the set.

The Colonels kept the third set close as well looking to swing momentum in their favor, but a five-point run by the Marlins with the score 20-17 sealed the third set for the visitors.

VWU stayed hot, starting the fourth set with a 6-1 run and not looking back en route to a match-sealing 25-14 set win.

Shafer led the Colonels with 13 kills. Lucas Mages (Buffalo, NY/Iroquois Central) also reached double-digits, adding 10 kills. Joshua Conley (Chalfont, PA/Central Bucks South) dished out 19 assists, with James Brust (Clarks Summit, PA/Abington Heights) adding 13 as well. Defensively, Shafer led the team with nine digs, followed by Alex Derk (Perkasie, PA/Pennridge) and Ryan McCorry (Tuckerton, NJ/Pinelands) with seven.

The Colonels return to the Marts Center tomorrow for a tri-match with No. 2 Southern Virginia University, their first CVC opponent of the year, and Widener University. The first game is scheduled for 10:00 a.m.