LANCASTER, Pa. – The Wilkes men's volleyball team dropped three sets against the Chargers in a back-and-forth battle, Tuesday evening at the Horst Athletic Center. 

Following tonight's match, Wilkes falls to a 1-2 overall record while Lancaster Bible improves to a 2-1 overall record. 

Joshua Conley (Chalfont, PA/Central Bucks South) opened the match with a kill to put the Colonels on the board, helping Wilkes build an early three-point advantage that it maintained until a 7–2 run by the Chargers swung the momentum and gave Lancaster a 12–10 lead. The Colonels trailed through the remainder of the set, but an Aidan Hunter (Sinking Spring, PA/Wilson) kill forced extra points before Lancaster secured the opening set, 27–25. 

Much like the opening set, Wilkes got off to a fast start and built a lead of as many as six points before the Chargers answered with six unanswered points to pull within one (11–10). The Colonels briefly regained control with a small run, but Lancaster responded with a 5–0 surge to tie the set at 16. The teams traded points down the final stretch to force the set in overtime once again, but the Chargers outlasted Wilkes to take set two, 34–32.

In the third set, both teams matched each other evenly to tie the set at 11 before Lancaster's Braden Escover delivered three consecutive kills to give the Chargers the advantage. Wilkes answered behind a strong blocking effort from Logan Maha (Sayville, NY/Sayville) and Aidan Hunter (Sinking Spring, PA/Wilson) to even the set at 16, but despite continued pressure from the Colonels, Lancaster closed out the decisive set, 27–25.

Wilkes' offense was paced by first-year Carter Otto (Mountain View, CA/Mountain View) who recorded 14 kills on the night while Aaron Ladd (Souderton, PA/Pennridge) and Hunter followed behind with seven. Maha and Hunter controlled the net, with each recording six block assists and Maha adding one solo block. Conley led the passing game with 31 assists, while Otto also led the team defensively with nine digs.

Lancaster's Escover led the offense with 18 kills while Jaiden Flanagan and Kevin Bryant each recorded ten. Timothy Fletcher led the passing game with 40 assists, while Nicholas Marion led the defense with ten digs.

The Colonels return to action on Friday, Jan. 23rd, as they travel down to Virginia Beach, where they will compete in a tri-match against Wisconsin Lutheran College and Geneva College (Pa.) at 3:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.