ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. (Mar. 4)- The Saint Vincent men's volleyball team traveled to Elizabethtown for a non-conference tri-match against both the host Elizabethtown and Roanoke. The Bearcats first fell to Roanoke in five sets, 3-2 and then lost to Elizabethtown 3-1.
 
Game One- Roanoke 3, Saint Vincent 2
After the Bearcats won two of the first three sets, Roanoke stormed back to win the final three sets to win the match 3-1. Saint Vincent won set one 25-19 and set three 25-16, while Roanoke won set two. 25-16, set four 26-24, and set five 15-9.
 
In the first match of the day for the Bearcats, Matthew Minkin led the way for SVC with a team-high 15 kills, while also adding two assists and one service ace. Zebadiah Wyant was the second Bearcat to record double-digit kills in the contest, recording 13 kills and a team-high ten digs.
 
Shawn McSwiggen added nine kills and four blocks and Zach Wyant recorded 33 assists in the loss for the Bearcats.
 
In the first set, it was all Saint Vincent. The Bearcats scored five of the first six points against the Maroons. An attack error by Roanoke, followed by three kills from Zeb Wyant and a kill for McSwiggen gave Saint Vincent the early 5-1 lead. After the Maroons cut the lead to 6-3, SVC answered scoring three points in a row on a service error by Roanoke, followed by back-to-back kills from Minkin, increasing their lead back up to 9-3.
 
Over the next several points both teams played even volleyball as the Bearcats still controlled with a 17-11 lead. The Maroons bounced back, cutting the SVC lead to four at 22-18 but once again Saint Vincent responded scoring three of the final four points of the set. A kill by Zach Wyant followed by two attack errors by the Maroons gave the Bearcats set one by a score of 25-19.
 
In set two, it was very tight early on as the set was tied 4-4. Over the next few points Roanoke took the advantage taking a 12-8 lead on the Bearcats. Saint Vincent answered with back-to-back points on a kill by McSwiggen and attack error by the Maroons cut the lead to 12-10 and then 14-12.
 
Roanoke once again responded with outscoring SVC 6-4 over the next ten points to take a 20-16 lead. The Maroons continued on the attack, scoring the final five points of the set to take set two (25-16), evening up the match 1-1.
 
In set three, it was all Roanoke early on. The Maroons opened up to a 4-1 lead and increased their lead to 7-3. Saint Vincent responded with a quick four points on two kills by Zeb Wyant, mixed between two service aces by McSwiggen tied the set up at 7-7.
 
After an attack error by SVC gave Roanoke the lead back at 8-7, SVC scored three straight points on two errors by the Maroons and a service ace from Zeb Wyant gave SVC a 10-8 lead. The teams traded the next few points as SVC still held a lead at 16-13 lead in the set. The Bearcats continued on the attack, scoring three straight points on a kill by McSwiggen, an error by the Maroons, and a service ace by McSwiggen increased the SVC lead to 19-13.
 
The Bearcats lead remained steady as the Bearcats still held a 23-16 lead. Saint Vincent wrapped up the set scoring the final two points on back-to-back errors by the Maroons as the Bearcats won the set 25-16, taking a 2-1 lead in the match.
 
The Bearcats had a strong start in set three as well. Saint Vincent opened up to a commanding 9-4 lead in the set. Over the next few points, Roanoke slightly cut into the Bearcats lead but after a kill by Zeb Wyant and an attack error by the Maroons, Saint Vincent still led 17-13 and increased their lead to 19-14 after a couple more errors by Roanoke.
 
Roanoke then went on a quick 6-2 run to cut the Saint Vincent lead to one at 21-20. After another kill from Minkin gave SVC a 22-20 lead, Roanoke answered with three straight points to take a 23-22 lead. SVC once again capitalized on two straight errors by the Maroons to take a 24-23 lead with match points but Roanoke wouldn't go down easy as the Maroons scored three straight to win the set 26-24, forcing a fifth set.
 
In the fifth set, both teams traded the first few points as the Bearcats and Maroons were tied at 5-5. After Roanoke took a 6-5 lead, the Bearcats scored on kills by Zeb and Zach Wyant to take a 7-6 lead in the set. Roanoke took control from that point as the Maroons closed the match out on a 9-2 run, winning the fifth set (15-9) and the match 3-2.
 
Game Two- Elizabethtown 3, Saint Vincent 1
In the final match of the day, Elizabethtown defeated the Bearcats, 3-1. The Blue Jays won set one 25-14, the Bearcats took set two 25-21, and Elizabethtown won sets three 25-14 and four 25-20.
 
Minkin once again led Saint Vincent with another double-double, recording ten kills and a team-high 11 digs. Zeb Wyant recorded a team-high 11 kills and Joshua Canty tallied a team-high 18 assists for Saint Vincent.
 
Stephen Laun also recorded double-digit digs also recording 11 and McSwiggen recorded seven kills in game two for SVC.
 
It was tight early on in set one. The Blue Jays took a slight lead at 5-4 in the first nine points of the set. After Elizabethtown increased their lead to 7-4, SVC answered on a kill by Zeb Wyant and an attack error by the Blue Jays cut the Elizabethtown lead to 7-6 and then 9-8 after a service error and kill by Minkin.
 
Elizabethtown took control, scoring the next seven points to take a commanding 16-8 lead and continued on the attack, increasing their lead to 22-14. The Blue Jays then scored the final three points of the set to take set one (25-15), taking a 1-0 lead in the match.
 
In set two, it was all Elizabethtown early on as the Blue Jays had opened up to a 9-3 lead. The Bearcats started to claw their way back at that point as they cut the Elizabethtown lead to 12-8 and then scored five straight points on two kills by Minkin, a kill from Zeb Wyant, and a service ace from Minkin, mixed between an error by the Blue Jays, as Saint Vincent took a 13-12 lead.
 
The Blue Jays battled back tying the set back up at 18-18. Once again Saint Vincent used a big 5-0 run on kills by McSwiggen and Minkin and two errors by the Blue Jays gave the Bearcats the lead right back at 22-18. After Elizabethtown cut the SVC lead to 22-21, the Bearcats closed out the set on kills by Minkin and Zeb Wyant, mixed between an attack error by the Blue Jays as SVC won set two (25-21), tying the match up at 1-1.
 
The Bearcats scored the first four points of set three on two kills by McSwiggen, a service ace by Minkin, and an attack error by the Blue Jays gave SVC a 4-0 lead. Elizabethtown battled back, tying the match up at 5-5 and then further taking the lead at 10-6.
 
The teams traded the next couple of points as Elizabethtown still held a lead at 13-9 and then went on a 5-0 run to take an 18-9 lead in the set. The strong second half of the set continued for the Blue Jays as they scored four of the final five points to win set three, 25-13, taking a 2-1 lead in the match.
 
In the final set of the day, it was all Elizabethtown. The Bearcats fell behind early at 5-2 and weren't able to recover. Elizabethtown held a commanding lead throughout the set as they led 24-16 late. The Bearcats made a late push, scoring four straight points on a kill from Minkin, followed by three straight errors by the Blue Jays cut the Elizabethtown lead to 24-20, but the Blue Jays won the set (25-20) with a kill to win the match 3-1.
 
The Bearcats will continue their non-conference slate of games as they travel to Carlow on Saturday, March 11 for a matchup with the Celtics. The match is scheduled to begin at 12 p.m. Saint Vincent defeated Carlow in their season opener, 3-2, as the Bearcats came back from a 2-0 deficit to win their season opener.