CRIMSON EAGLES SOAR PAST EXPRESS

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – The Wells College men's volleyball team fell 3-0 (25-9, 25-10, 25-12) to the Philadelphia Biblical Crimson Eagles on Saturday afternoon in Philadelphia, Pa. The loss drops the Express to 0-4 on the season while the Crimson Eagles improve to 4-10 on the year.

Caleb Mannix (Chittenango, N.Y.) finished with seven kills and three digs and Andrew Jacobs (Millburn, N.J.) added three kills and seven digs to pace the Express.

Ethan Mawhinney led the Crimson Eagles with nine kills and six digs while teammates Josh Tuttle and Ryan Garvin each finished with seven kills.

In the first set, the Crimson Eagles jumped out to an early 5-0 lead before a kill from Mannix and bad set by Mawhinney cut the lead to three 5-2. Philadelphia Biblical continued to roll scoring nine of the next 11 points to take a commanding 13-4 lead. Jacobs finished a kill to stop a 5-0 run but consecutive kills by Tuttle and Garven kept the Crimson Eagles rolling to the their first set victory.

Philadelphia Biblical quickly jumped ahead in the second set (5-1) before two kills from Mannix with a point by the Crimson Eagle squeezed in between cut the lead to three (6-3). Another 5-1 run by Philadelphia Biblical forced a Wells timeout, but it would do little to detract the Crimson Eagles as they would push their lead to 12 (17-5).

After a second Wells timeout, an attack error gave the Express a point, and after two straight points by the Crimson Eagles, the Express rattled off four straight points punctuated by a service ace from Jacobs and a kill by Mannix to pull the Express back to within nine (19-10). However, the Crimson Eagles rallied together to score the final six points to earn the second set victory.

Kills by Mannix and Jacobs would be the only bright spot early in the third set as the Crimson Eagles raced out to an early 10-2 lead. Philadelphia Biblical continued to apply the pressure pushing their lead to 20-7 before three straight points by Wells, including a kill from Ryan Huggins (Cooperstown, N.Y.) cut the lead to ten (20-10). The Crimson Eagles settled down from there, outscoring the Express 5-2 to earn the third set and match victory.

The Express return to action next Saturday when they travel to take on Hilbert College and D'Youville College at 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. on the campus of Hilbert in Hamburg, N.Y.