Harrison Lilley – Photographer

hjl5363@psu.edu

Penn State Behrend men’s volleyball team lost the Eastern College Athletic Conference, ECAC, Championship match to New Jersey City 3-2 on a chilly afternoon in the Junker Center. The Lions defeated St. Elizabeth 3-0 in the first contest to advance to the final. 

Against St. Elizabeth, Behrend hit .413 as a team, taking down 43 kills on 75 attempts. Dylan Buzalka led with 10 kills, while Kevin Skweres collected six kills, all in the second set. Alex Jackson registered 28 assists, three kills, two digs, and one ace, while Adrian Martinez managed eight digs and two assists. Behrend’s diversity showed as five different players recorded two or more kills in the first set to lead the way for the team. Buzalka added four, and Owen Wienczkowski added three as Behrend won the opening set 25-19. Skweres took the reins in the second set, posting three straight kills on as many attempts to start, and Behrend bet St. Elizabeth 25-20. Kyle Hoffman and Mark Sandford tallied three kills each in the final six set points to help Behrend get a 25-13 win.

In the final match against New Jersey City, Behrend took the lead in the first set, with a comfortable victory of 25-16 as they held a 16-7 advantage in kills. Wienczkowski had four kills, and Alex Jackson dished out 13 assists. In a closer second set with 14 ties and four lead changes, the Lions came out on top at 25-21. Hoffman had five kills in the second set, finishing with a team-leading 18. New Jersey City forced Behrend to a fifth set by winning in extra points in the third, sparking life for the final two sets. The Gothic Knights had 11 team blocks in total, and Jackson had a double-double with 48 assists and 12 digs. Wienczkowski tallied 12 kills and five blocks, while Cameron Schleicher recorded 12 kills on 21 attempts.

Overall, it was a tough loss for Behrend, ending the season with an impressive 19-9 record. It was still a successful journey, though, for the Lions. Despite the final defeat, the Lions should be proud of the impressive accomplishments they achieved throughout the season, and they have a solid foundation to build upon as they look ahead to future seasons.