The Elizabethtown College’s men’s volleyball team was handed their first road loss of the season on Saturday night, Feb. 11. The Blue Jays were able to take one set, but that would be all, losing the match one set to three (1-3). This is the team’s fourth loss of the season, but they still maintain a respectable record of six wins and four losses (6-4). 

In this first set, it was pretty much all Marymount University. They got up early and never looked back, as they captured an opening set win of 25-19. Etown would try to keep pace, and while they did an admirable job of cutting into the deficit, they just were not able to grasp the lead. However, the Jays bounced back in the second set. The two teams went back and forth throughout much of the second set, trading blows, neither letting the other get too far out in front. Etown finally got in front after a kill by sophomore Kyle McKiernan. A couple of serves later, the Blue Jays had a three-point lead in the second lead, which culminated with a Marymount service error and a 25-23 set win for Etown.  

That second set was the only set that Marymount would allow Etown to have. The next two sets resulted in the same score: 25-17 wins for Marymount. In the third set, Etown grabbed the early lead, but three separate four-point runs were all Marymount needed to earn a comfortable lead, eventually taking the set after a Blue Jay service error. The final set was neck and neck early on. The teams exchanged three-point runs, staying within striking distance. However, unfortunately for the Jays, Marymount unleashed an impressive stretch in which they would win eight straight points, going up as many as nine points on the Blue Jays. It looked as if the Blue Jays had an opportunity at a comeback win when they took eight points out of 12 serves, but the Marymount’s was insurmountable. The Jays would give up three points in a row, losing 25-17.  

While there was not a lot to love about this game from Etown’s perspective, they have shown a lot of potential in this young season. With a long way to go, it will be exciting to see where the Blue Jays take themselves this season. Their next game is at home in the Thompson Gym on Feb. 17 at 7 p.m. against Southern Virginia.