GLENSIDE, Pa. – The Arcadia University men's volleyball team returned home Tuesday evening for a nonconference matchup against Gallaudet University. The Knights (5-5) swept the Bison in straight sets, 25-10, 25-19, 25-22.
Luka Erickson led all players with nine kills. Riley Kodidek, Tucker Curtis, and Aidan Mackowiak each recorded a service ace. Reece Dodd paced the Knights at the net with four blocks, while Kodidek dished out 37 assists. Cameron Birch added nine digs in the victory.
HOW IT HAPPENED
SET ONE: Gallaudet 10 – Arcadia 25
• The Knights started slowly on the offensive end, collecting their first four points off Bison errors. With Arcadia trailing 6-4, Reece Dodd rattled off three kills during a four-point stretch to spark the offense.
• Luka Erickson's first kill of the night ignited a 4-0 run. The stretch included a service ace from Riley Kodidek, block assists by Erickson and Josh Clendening, and a kill from Clendening to cap the run.
• After a Gallaudet kill halted the momentum briefly, the Knights broke the set open with a 6-0 run. Tucker Curtis, Erickson, and Jayden Wacaster each recorded kills, Curtis added an ace, and Wacaster and Erickson combined for a block assist.
• Arcadia closed the set on an 8-0 run to secure a 25-10 victory.
SET TWO: Gallaudet 19 – Arcadia 25
• The Knights jumped out to a 3-1 lead behind kills from Erickson and Wacaster. Another 3-0 run, sparked by a kill from Erickson and back-to-back kills from Mackowiak, pushed the advantage to 6-4.
• A kill from Dodd, followed by blocks from Dodd and Kodidek, extended the lead to 10-6.
• Gallaudet responded with two separate 3-0 runs to trim the deficit to 16-14. Kills from Erickson and Mackowiak stopped the surge.
• Arcadia appeared poised to close out the set during a 6-0 run, highlighted by three kills from Dodd and a block by Dodd and Kodidek. The Knights secured the final point shortly after to take the set, 25-19.
SET THREE: Gallaudet 22 – Arcadia 25
• The teams traded points throughout much of the third set. Erickson, Mackowiak, and Kodidek recorded early kills to give Arcadia a 5-4 edge.
• Harrison McCleery's kill regained the lead for the Knights at 7-6. He added another to tie the set at 9-9 before Bryce Lewis put Arcadia ahead, 11-10.
• Pete Smith, Kodidek, and McCleery contributed a trio of kills to give the Knights a 16-15 advantage.
• Following a Gallaudet service error, Lewis and Smith combined for a block assist to make it 21-18. Mackowiak added his final two kills and a service ace, and Smith delivered the match-clinching kill as Arcadia completed the 3-0 sweep.
KNIGHT LEADERS
Kills: Erickson (9), Dodd (8), Mackowiak (8)
Aces: Kodidek (1), Curtis (1), Mackowiak (1)
Blocks: Dodd (4), Clendening (3), Erickson (3)
Assists: Kodidek (37), Erickson (2), Birch (1)
Digs: Birch (9), Erickson (7), Kodidek (6)
UP NEXT
The Knights travel to Poughkeepsie, N.Y., on Saturday for a tri-match against Kean University and Vassar College. First serve against Kean is set for 2 p.m.
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