(WILKES-BARRE, Pa.) – A dominant performance allowed Wilson to split the day and week as it defeated Bryn Athyn in three sets on Saturday. After falling to host King's to open a tri-match, the Phoenix hit .358 en route to sweeping the Lions.
The Basics
Scores: Match 1 – Wilson 0, King's 3 (25-21, 25-16, 25-18)
Match 2 – Wilson 3, Bryn Athyn 0 (25-23, 25-19, 25-17)
Venue: Scandlon Gym
Records: Wilson 5-9, King's 10-6, Bryn Athyn 6-10
How It Happened (Match 1 vs. King's)
- Looking to split the season series with the Monarchs after dropping to them at home earlier this season, the Phoenix got off to a decent start with Jackson Wolfe (FY, Abbottstown, Pa. / New Oxford) and Xavier Webber (Jr., Mechanicsburg, Pa. / Central Dauphin East) scoring a pair of kills each to take a 7-4 lead. Webber added another before the hosts scored four consecutive to take a 10-9 lead. The Blue and White stuck with King's for the most part and were still within two after a Webber and Jacob McCoy (Jr., York, Pa. / Spring Grove) block made it 23-21 before the Monarchs put the first set away with the next two points.
- King's started off fast in the second and jumped out to a 14-3 lead. The Monarchs led by as many as 12 before Wilson started to make a run. It was too late as King's took the second set. While the Monarchs took a 4-1 lead to start the third, this time the Phoenix were able to stay close and tied the game at 7-all after a Demetrius Simmons (Jr., Mechanicsburg, Pa. / Mechanicsburg) Wolfe block. Satvik Sharma (FY, Hummelstown, Pa. / Hershey) downed a kill to make it 13-11 in favor of King's before the Monarchs went on a 10-1 run to take control. A pair of Ryan Koontz (So., York Haven, Pa. / Red Land) aces fueled a Phoenix 5-0 run, but it too was too late as King's took two of the next three points for the sweep.
How It Happened (Match 2 vs. Bryn Athyn)
- Both teams were even in the opening set after a Koontz kill and a Simmons block pulled Wilson even at 12-all. Bryn Athyn appeared to take control with a 4-1 run, but the Phoenix returned the favor with one of their own thanks to kills by Webber, McCoy, and Koontz along with a McCoy Sharma rejection. Bryn Athyn scored the next point before Wilson took five of the next six to serve for game point. The Lions staved off the opening game defeat for two points before Simmons scored the winner on a kill.
- Another close battle followed in the second. The Phoenix created some separation by scoring five during a six-point stretch capped by a Simmons Webber block to make it 14-9. The Lions were able to cut the deficit down to three on a few occasions from there, but could get no closer. A Webber kill and Koontz ace put Wilson in solid position with a 23-17 lead before the two teams alternated the next four points to give the Blue and White a 2-0 lead.
- Bryn Athyn held an early lead at 10-8 after a close start before Wilson jumped ahead after a Wolfe spike, Simmons ace, and McCoy Wolfe block. Bryn Athyn scored the next point, but the Phoenix were undeterred and scored the next four with kills from McCoy, Wolfe, and Sharma as well as a Wolfe ace. Wilson pulled away even more as a Lions error, Sharma ace, and Wolfe kill made it 20-14. Wilson then closed the day by taking five out of six points capped by a McCoy Wolfe block to secure the sweep.
Inside The Numbers
- Wolfe capped a solid day with 20 kills between both contests with 11 in the Bryn Athyn clash. He hit .360 against the Lions and .288 for the day.
- Webber wasn't far behind with 16 total kills between the two matches. Nine came against the Lions where he hit .313 and picked up six of his eight digs.
- Sharma had the setup duties and made 51assists between the two matches.
- Camden Sterner (So., Spring Grove, Pa. / Spring Grove) was solid on the back lines as he picked up 22 digs evenly split between the two matches.
- Logan Dougherty led the Monarchs with 12 kills and added nine digs.
- The Lions were led by Miles Shepard with 13 kills.
- The .358 hitting percentage is the fourth-best mark for a single match in program history. The previous fourth-best attack percentage was .348 set earlier this week against Penn State Schuylkill
Up Next
Wilson is off until Wednesday when it hosts Penn State Altoona at 7 p.m.
