GRANTHAM, Pa. – Sophomore
Jason Manley pegged 20 kills in the MAC Championship Semifinals as Arcadia men's volleyball took down No. 2 Messiah, 3-1 (23-25, 25-23, 25-21, 25-16). The Knights will take on No. 1 Stevenson on Saturday.
FOR THE RECORD:
- Arcadia moves to 17-12 on the year, with a 9-3 MAC record.
- Messiah finishes the season 15-10 overall and 9-3 in the conference.
COACH SAYS:
- "I'm very proud of our guys tonight," said head volleyball coach Eli Porr. "They were super focused the moment they got on the bus and wanted some payback from last time we played at Messiah. They played really well together in tough moments. We played our best defense of the season tonight which helped big time. We are very excited to get another shot at Stevenson on Saturday."
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- The first set saw 15 ties as the Knights and Falcons were squared away at 23 before the home team captured the final two points.
- Arcadia started on a 7-1 run in the second set, but Messiah battled back. After being knotted at 15, the Scarlet and Grey took an 18-15 lead and maintained an advantage the rest of the set.
- The third set started neck-and-neck before Arcadia gained a sizable lead at 16-11. The Falcons pulled within one at 19-18, however the Knights ended on a 6-3 run.
- In the final game, Arcadia maintained a healthy lead throughout the set and came away with the victory.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE:
- Manley led all players with 20 kills, hitting .425. The All-MAC First Team member also added four digs, two total blocks, and one service ace.
- Joining Manley in double digit kills was classmate Austin Braas with 10. Braas hit .350 and contributed six total blocks and a dig.
- Freshman setter Anthony Devantier handed out 43 assists on the night, adding four kills, three digs, two block assists and one service ace.
MATCH NOTES:
- This will be the second team Porr has led to the conference championship game this academic year, after he took the women's volleyball team to the MAC Commonwealth Championship Final in the fall.
UP NEXT:
- Arcadia takes on No. 1 Stevenson Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. in the inaugural MAC Championship Final.
