PHOENIXVILLE, Pa - The Wilson College men's volleyball team took on the Patriots of the University of Valley Forge in two matches this evening. The Phoenix (6-11, 4-4 CSAC) dropped both matches to the Patriots (4-13, 4-4 CSAC) by a score of 3-1 in both matches.
Match One: Both teams started off close, but Valley Forge held a slight advantage at 13-8, this sparked a four-point run from Wilson that cut the deficit to 13-12. The Phoenix continued to battle but could not overcome a late surge from the Patriots as they took the first set, 25-19. Starting set number two, Wilson held a 10-7 lead and eventually ballooned their lead to 16-14. Valley Forge started to chip away at the deficit and eventually took the lead at 24-20. The Phoenix battled until the end but could not hold on, as they fell 25-22. In the third set, Wilson took a 10-5 lead early on, with points coming from seniors
Shae Cardenas (Torrance, CA., West Los Angeles CC) and
Eric Holz (Williamsport, PA., Loyalsock Township). The Phoenix never looked back, as they went on to win the third set by a score of 25-19. The Patriots started the fourth set on an 8-3 run before Wilson got things rolling, cutting the deficit to just three points. The Phoenix fought until the end but could not hold on as they dropped this set by a score of 25-21.
Inside the Box Score: Cardenas helped fuel the offense with 12 kills, one ace, and 22 digs, while sophomore
Saria Alshaikhali (Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Hayfield High School) added nine kills. Senior
Andrew Hetzer (Chambersburg, PA., Cumberland Valley Christian) notched 24 assists, nine digs, three kills, and two aces. Wilson tallied 32 kills on 137 attempts against 29 errors, while their opponent added 28 kills on 145 attempts against 23 errors.
Match Two: In the first set of the second match, Valley Forge jumped on a 13-2 run before the Phoenix started to chip away.
Cardenas,
Alshaikhali,
Holz, and freshman
Jackson Cordell (Waynesboro, PA, Waynesboro Area Senior H.S.) all added points in the late rally, but the Patriots took the first set by a score of 25-16. In the second set, Valley Forge held an early advantage, but Wilson dug deep and eventually took the lead at 18-17. The Patriots managed to retake the lead, but the Phoenix responded with five straight points that gave them a 24-20 lead as they went on to take this set by a score of 25-21. Wilson started hot in the third set, jumping out to a 10-7 lead after a 5-1 run flipped the scoreboard in their favor. Valley Forge responded with a 16-5 run that put them on top, 23-15. The Phoenix came back with four unanswered points, with kills coming from
Alshaikhali and
Cordell, as Wilson sat within striking distance, 23-19. Despite their effort, the Phoenix lost this set 25-19. In the final set, the Patriots walked away with a 25-13 win, giving them the three sets to one victory.
Inside the Box Score: Cardenas came up with 13 kills in this match, while adding 16 digs, three assists, two blocks, and an ace.
Alshaikhali added seven kills, while
Hetzer added 16 assists, 11 digs, three kills, and two blocks. Junior
Noah Wickenheiser (Cresco, PA, Notre Dame) notched 16 digs, while
Cordell notched three kills. The Phoenix finished with 23 kills on 135 attempts against 33 errors, while their opponent added 26 kills on 114 attempts against 16 errors.
Up Next: Wilson will close out their regular season on Saturday, April 2, with a CSAC match against at Cairn starting at noon.
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