(CHAMBERSBURG, Pa.) – The men's volleyball season got off to a wonderful start as Wilson upended nearby foe Hood in four sets on Sunday afternoon. It's the first season opening win for the Phoenix in five years when they defeated Cairn in four sets.
The Basics
Scores: Wilson 3, Hood 1 (23-25, 25-23, 25-23, 25-16)
Venue: Gannett Field House
Records: Wilson 1-0, Hood 0-1
How It Happened
- Despite the eventual result, it was a fast start for the Hood Blazers who jumped out to a 4-0 lead and eventually pushed their advantage to six at 10-4 after an error by the Phoenix. Wilson didn't go down easily and eventually tied the game at 11-all aided by three kills from Andrew Sviben (So., Bressler, Pa. / Central Dauphin East / Lourdes). The Phoenix once again tied the set at 18 and 19-all, but couldn't get over the hump. A 4-1 run gave Hood a 23-20 lead, and kills from both Russell Odor and Adam Bartice allowed the Blazers to take a 1-0 lead.
- The second set faired better for the Phoenix as they stayed within striking distance of the Blazers after some early back-and-forth. With Hood leading 18-15, the turning point came as the Phoenix went on a 7-0 rally with four kills to take a 22-18 lead. The Blazers eventually closed the gap to one at 24-23, but a Demetrius Simmons (So., Mechanicsburg, Pa. / Mechanicsburg) kill evened the match at 1-1.
- Wilson never trailed in the third set, but it was close throughout as the Phoenix never led by more than four, and was never up by more than 13 after the 13-point mark. As a result, the game ended up being tied at 23-all after a kill, ace, and a Phoenix error. Thankfully Wilson was able to take the match lead after a Jacob McCoy (So., York, Pa. / Spring Grove) kill and a Blazers error.
- The fourth set played similar at the start and middle, but Wilson's end game proved to be the difference. The Blazers tied the set as late as 15-all, but Wilson was able to close the match with a demonstrative 10-1 run which included the final seven points going the way of the Wilson Blue.
Inside The Numbers
- Sviben's debut with the Phoenix was nothing short of stellar as he pounded down a match-best 18 kills. He did it efficiently as well with a .394 hitting percentage on 33 attempts. He wasn't just busy attacking and worked in a utility role with nine assists and eight digs.
- McCoy had a strong day up front as he put down seven kills on just 12 attempts with no errors for a success rate of .583. Webber also added seven kills and was busy on the receiving side with six digs.
- Saria Alshaikhali (Sr., Jeddah, Saudi Arabia / Hayfield) was also busy defensively as he picked up eight digs to tie Sviben and a pair of Blazers for match-high honors.
- Vincent Natale (So., Mt. Airy, Md. / Linganore) split the setting duties, but led the team with 13 assists.
- The Blazers were led by Bartice and Charles Casas who both had 10 kills.
For The Record
- This was the first meeting all-time between Wilson and Hood.
- The last time the Phoenix won their season-opening match was 2019 against Cairn. Current head coach Aaron Hoke was a senior on that squad and finished the match with 13 kills, six aces, and three blocks.
Up Next
The Phoenix will head to Cresson to battle Mount Aloysius on Tuesday. First serve is set for 7 p.m.
