HUNTINGDON, PA – March 12, 2022 – Hiram men's volleyball dropped two matches at #12 Juniata each by a score of 3-0 on Saturday afternoon.
Match #1: #12 Juniata 3, Hiram 0
Juniata started the first set off hot going up 9-4 after a Drew Hunker kill. The Eagles began to pull away nearing the middle of the set, claiming four-straight points before a Hiram timeout making the score 13-6. After the timeout, the home team didn't slow down, picking up the next four points.
With the score now 21-7, Juniata easily won the first set at 25-10.
After going down 4-0 to start the second set, Hiram was able to even the score at seven after a kill from
Josh Jones. The Terriers took a brief 12-10 lead after an Eagles attack error, but Juniata answered back. The home team started heating up, tying the score at 12, before pulling away further.
Juniata took a 17-14 lead, then Hiram called a timeout. Late in the set,
Tom Supan had two kills over the course of three points, with the Terriers down 20-17. Juniata picked up the next three points, up 23-17, and won set two 25-19.
The Eagles took a 7-3 lead at the start of the third set with a Luke Hoffman kill. Through the early portion of the first set, Hiram was able to keep it close. Four-straight points from the Terriers, with two Jones', kills and one
Tom Supan kill, tied the third set at 12.
Kilvio Montero had a kill of his own to tie the game at 14, but the Eagles started to come back.
Five-straight points from the home team put the score at 19-14 Juniata.
Dangelo Boehner picked up a kill late, but Juniata built up enough of a lead to win 25-20.
Supan led the team with eight kills with Boehner getting six.
Andrew Diaz de Padilla had 24 assists and seven digs, both leading the team.
Match #2: #12 Juniata 3, Hiram 0
Juniata stormed off to a 10-1 start at the beginning of the set. The big lead continued to grow later in the set, with the team taking a 16-6 lead, followed by four-straight points.
Two kills from
Garrett Scheidegger and Montero ended the scoring for Hiram, as the home team dominated set one by a score of 25-11.
Montero and Jones had kills early in set two, with Hiram looking to bounce back down just 5-4 to start. Six of the next eight points went to the Eagles, however, with Juniata now winning 11-6.
From that point, Juniata started pulling away with a commanding 19-10 lead late in set two. Four of the final five points were scored for the Eagles, taking the second set, 25-16.
At the start of the third set, Hiram had a brief 5-4 lead after a Juniata service error. The next five points, however, were scored by the Eagles now up 9-5. The Terriers were able to keep things somewhat close in the middle of the set with a Montero kill making it 13-9.
Six-straight points going the way of the Eagles proved to be a difference maker in the third and final set with the Eagles in the driver's seat up 21-10, leading to the eventual 25-13 set three win.
Montero led in game two with six kills. Jones and
Cory Fischer had three digs each with Diaz de Padilla notching eight assists.
Hiram men's volleyball falls to 11-10 on the year with the two losses. The team continues on with conference play on Wednesday, March 16 with first serve at 7 p.m. when they take on Geneva.
