Men’s Volleyball competes at Chatham tri-match

PITTSBURGH --- Carlow University men's volleyball went 0-2 at the Chatham University tri-match Saturday.

The Celtics (0-7) took the first game against host Chatham (2-5) to five sets and fell to the Lions (4-4) in four.

vs. Chatham: L, 3-2 (25-16, 22-25, 25-20, 19-25, 14-16)

Russ Cyprowski and Will Piccolino led Carlow with double-doubles in the match. Cyprowski led the team with a game-high 24 kills and 14 digs, while Piccolino hit 23 kills and tallied 27 digs.

James Stone and Logan Alexander added 17 and 14 digs apiece, and Jaden Michalski had two solo blocks in the effort.

Chatham started with a 7-4 advantage before the Celtics went on a five-point run to gain the lead. Carlow strung together a few more runs throughout the set to win by a decent 25-16 margin.

The Celtics tied the score twice, but Chatham regained and maintained its lead in the second set. A kill from Cyprowski put the Celtics within two of set point before Mannix McKaveney produced a kill to win the set and tie the game 1-1.

Carlow tied the score twice once again in the third set, holding Chatham to just eight kills. The Celtics eventually strung together a 9-5 run to lead, 18-14. A Carlow service error put the Cougars within two points, but Carlow ground out the 25-20 win to end the set.

The Cougars got out to an early 8-4 advantage en route to a 25-19 fourth set win that tied the game, 2-2, and forced a final set.

Both teams battled hard through the fifth set, tying the game several times until the very end and forcing a win-by-two situation. Unfortunately for the Celtics, with the score tied 14-all, a kill and an error fell in favor of the Cougars for the 16-14 set and match win.

Benjamin Shelestak led Chatham with a double-double 23 kills and 16 digs. Tim McCabe added 12 kills, and three other Cougars recorded double figure digs in the win.

vs. Penn State Altoona: L, 3-1 (12-25, 25-19, 20-25, 22-25)

The Celtics took Penn State Altoona to four sets in the second match of the day. The Lions landed seven service aces on the day.

Piccolino led the team with another double-double, 12 kills and 11 digs. Cyprowski added 14 kills, and Alexander tallied a game-high 21 digs in the effort.

Altoona leapt out to a 10-5 lead in the first set and went on an 11-4 run en route to a 25-12 first set victory.

The Celtics hit 44 percent in the second set with just one error. Cyprowski landed the first two kills for Carlow and the team never relinquished its lead to win the second set, 25-19, and tie the game at 1-1.

The Celtics tied the score at 10-all in the third set before the Lions strung together six unanswered points. Altoona took the third set, 25-20, to lead, 2-1 in the match.

Again, the Celtics would not go down without a fight as both teams tied the game six times and changed leads three times in the fourth set. Altoona led much of the set despite Carlow gaining a one-point advantage several times midway through. A late attack error by the Lions put Carlow within two points, but Altoona's Willem Del Priore landed the final kill to win the set, 25-22, and the match, 3-1.

Avery Farabaugh led the Lions with a game-high, double-double 18 kills and 17 digs.

The Celtics return to action with a 6 p.m. match at Bethany College Feb. 8.