Elizabethtown men’s volleyball is underway as the spring sports begin to emerge from the snow. On Tuesday, Etown took on Stevenson College with a roster missing some key players due to sickness.. The starting lineup would feature some of the underclassmen who were needed to step up and secure a victory against a tough opponent.
In the first set, both teams battled back and forth, with points traded between the Mustangs and the Blue Jays. Stevenson did have a few aces in the opening set, however, Etown did a great job on the defensive end, scoring points off of blocks at the net. After the back and forth battle, Etown dropped the first set 25-19.
The second set was a different story, as the Blue Jays came out hot out of the huddle. After the set began with a 3-3 tie, the Jays scored the next 10 of 11 points, giving them a nine point lead, which was led by first-year outside hitter Arun Gopinath with three kills in the scoring run. Stevenson attempted to climb back, scoring five straight points late in the set, but Etown held strong as a kill by junior outside hitter Logan Smith secured the deciding point for the Blue Jays, winning the set 25-13.
The third set opened with a little conflict, as the first point by Etown was ruled incorrectly and was called for a dead ball, shifting the momentum slightly. Stevenson and Etown kept the game close through the first 19 points, with the Blue Jays leading 10-9. The Mustangs turned on the pressure in the middle of the set, rallying to a 13-5 run and separating the gap between the two sides. Etown did their best to fight back, being down eight points, they added five points on the next six plays, but Stevenson took their second set win with a score of 25-20.
The fourth set saw the two teams trade points for the entirety of the set, with the longest stretch of points in a row being a four point rally by Stevenson. Etown hung around, being down just five for most of the set, but it wasn’t enough as Stevenson took their third and final set with a score of 25-18.
Smith led the team in kills with 12, followed by Gopinath with 11, and sophomore outside hitter Mason Boyer with eight. First-year setter Patrick Neyer provided three aces for the Jays and provided a lot of energy off the bench, fueling the team despite their inactive players. Neyer added 25 assists for the Blue Jays, the most in the game for both teams. Etown had 11 blocks in the game and 34 digs, with junior libero Dustin Hagin leading the team with 11, followed by Neyer with seven and Gopinath with six. Etown will play their first conference game against Kean University on Feb. 7.
