Knights Oust Eagles in CVC Championship

BUENA VISTA, Va.- The Juniata men's volleyball team lost in the Continental Volleyball Conference Championship to #1 seed Southern Virginia University 3-0 (17-25, 19-25, 24-26) Saturday afternoon inside Knight Arena. 

Luke Hoffman (Reading, Pa. / Exeter Township HS) led the Eagles with nine kills, an ace, and two blocks, while Chase Robbins (Allentown, Pa. / Parkland High School) totaled eight kills, three digs, an assist, and a block. Will Sierer (Hummelstown, Pa. / Lower Dauphin HS) had 16 assists and five digs, while Grant Lorelli (Lancaster, Pa. / Hempfield HS) tallied nine assists, two kills, two blocks, and a dig. 

Set one saw the Knights build up a 5-10 lead early, and Robbins put down back-to-back kills to bring Juniata with three. From there, the Knights held the Eagles off as JC couldn't narrow the gap the rest of the set. The Eagles had nine attacking errors in the set, while the Knights had six service errors, but the hosts hit .320 to JC's -.034.

The Eagles eked ahead early in set two, as a Chris Mellor (Easton, Pa. / Easton Area HS) kill made it 9-7. The Knights responded with a 5-0 run, and Juniata called timeout. The Knights weren't deterred, as they continued to surge, with a Hoffman kill and an SVU attack error making 14-20. JC got within five on a Lorelli kill, 17-22, and again on another Hoffman kill, 18-23, but SVU took the match 19-25. 

Juniata didn't quit and battled courageously in set three, even reaching a set point as Hoffman smashed a pair of kills around a Knight kill, 24-23. SVU called timeout, scored the next two points on blocks before winning the match and the CVC on a kill, 26-24. 

Juniata, 29-4, will find out Monday where they are headed for the NCAA Tournament.