GLENSIDE, Pa. – The Arcadia University men's volleyball team opened the 2026 season with a 3–1 loss to Elizabethtown College on Thursday evening at home. The Knights (0–1) dropped the opening set, 25–21, before responding with a 25–20 victory in the second. The Blue Jays closed out the match by taking the final two sets, 25–23 and 25–17.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Set One: Elizabethtown 25, Arcadia 21
• Tucker Curtis recorded the first kill of the season for the Knights to even the score at 1–1. Kills from Reece Dodd and Josh Clendening, along with an Elizabethtown error, tied the set again at 4–4.
• Arcadia capitalized on Blue Jay miscues and added kills from Dodd and Clendening to take a 10–8 lead.
• The Knights extended their advantage to 15–12 behind an ace from Aidan Mackowiak and kills from Curtis and Clendening, but Elizabethtown answered with a 5–0 run to regain the lead at 17–15.
• Clendening posted three more kills, and Curtis added another to cut the deficit to 22–20, but the Blue Jays closed the set with the final three points to take a 25–21 win.
Set Two: Arcadia 25, Elizabethtown 20
• Elizabethtown jumped out to a 5–1 lead and later pushed the margin to 8–3. Arcadia responded with a 5–0 run to even the set at 8–8, highlighted by kills from Mackowiak, Cameron Birch, and a pair from Luka Erickson.
• After two straight points from the Blue Jays, the Knights rattled off an 8–0 run to take a commanding 16–10 lead, fueled by kills from Curtis, an ace from Mackowiak, and Elizabethtown errors.
• Curtis extended the lead to 20–13 with another kill, but the Blue Jays began to mount a comeback. A 3–0 run by Elizabethtown was answered by a 3–0 response from Arcadia.
• With set point at 24–17, the Blue Jays scored three straight points before committing a final error, allowing the Knights to secure the set and even the match.
Set Three: Elizabethtown 25, Arcadia 23
• Arcadia opened the third set with an early lead behind a kill from Curtis. A kill from Dodd and an Elizabethtown attack error gave the visitors a 5–4 advantage.
• A 3–0 Arcadia run, capped by a block from Erickson and Riley Kodidek, put the Knights in front 7–6.
• The teams traded points throughout the middle of the set, but the Blue Jays pulled ahead 17–13 before Arcadia answered with a 3–0 run.
• Kills from Curtis, Kodidek, and Dodd, along with a ball-handling error by Elizabethtown, tied the score at 21–21. The Blue Jays responded with a 3–0 run to reach set point. Dodd delivered an ace to make it 24–23, but Elizabethtown claimed the final point to take the set.
Set Four: Elizabethtown 25, Arcadia 17
• The fourth set featured several runs and point-for-point stretches. With Elizabethtown leading 7–6, a 6–0 run extended the Blue Jay advantage to 13–6.
• Four consecutive Elizabethtown errors and a kill from Curtis trimmed the deficit to 13–11.
• Dodd and Bryce Lewis attempted to spark a late comeback, but the Blue Jays pulled away down the stretch, outscoring Arcadia 12–6 to close out the match.
KNIGHT LEADERS
Kills: Curtis (12), Clendening (10), Dodd (9)
Aces: Dodd (2), Mackowiak (2), Kodidek (1)
Blocks: Erickson (7), Mackowiak (2), Kodidek (1)
Assists: Kodidek (34), Birch (3), Curtis (1)
Digs: Birch (14), Kodidek (9), Mackowiak (7)
UP NEXT
The Knights hit the road for the first time this season on Saturday, traveling to Rutgers–Newark for a tri-match with the Scarlet Raiders and MIT, beginning at 11:00 a.m.
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