WILKES-BARRE, PA (March 19, 2022) -- After dropping a tough 3-0 loss to Arcadia in the opener, the King's College men's volleyball team recorded a thrilling 3-2 win over Eastern University in the nightcap to break their losing streak and get back in win column. King's improves to 12-10 and 2-8 in the MAC with the split on Saturday afternoon in McGrane Gymnasium.

vs. Arcadia - L, 0-3 (13-25, 24-26, 23-25):
Despite the lop-sided final score, the two teams were evenly matched for most of the opener, with King's (11-10, 1-8 MAC) hitting .274 as a team and Arcadia (9-13, 5-2 MAC) posting a .295 hitting percentage.

The Knights dominated the opening set as the Monarchs could not seem to find a rhythm and trailed 13-3 early. Arcadia eventually post3ed the 25-13 win in the opening set.

The Monarchs rallied and showed some fire in set two, taking a 10-8 lead capped off by a block from sophomores Peter Scholl and Nick Greenawalt. The two teams traded runs, but King's remained ahead, 23-20 before the Knights went on a 6-1 run to end the set and earn the 26-24 win and take a 2-0 lead in the match.

It was a similar story in the third set as King's seemed in control as they held a 17-15 advantage on a kill from Scholl, but three straight points from Arcadia gave the visitors the 18-17 lead. The final stretch featured six ties and five lead changes that saw the Knights take the final set, 25-23, and the match, 3-0.

Sophomore Jared Piontkowski led the Monarchs with 13 kills on 23 attempts, hitting .348, adding a team-high eight digs and two blocks. Junior Joe Herman totaled y7 kills with seven digs, while fellow-junior Declan Larson recorded four digs. At the nets, Scholl and junior Sam  Capwell posted team-highs with three blocks each, and Greenawalt added two of his own. The junior setter duo of Aziz Atiyeh and George Beck added matching 14 assist-efforts in the loss.

Arcadia was led by Danny Gonzalez with 10 kills and three aces, while Owen Heft tallied 11 digs. Anthony Devantier and Vaugh McConnell each dished out 15 assists, with McConnell adding three aces.

As a team, the Monarchs assisted on 30  of their 32 kills while edging out the Knights in blocks, 6-2, and digs, 28-23.

vs. Eastern - W, 3-2 (30-28, 25-18, 21-25, 23-25, 15-13):
The final match of the day was an instant classic for the Monarchs men's volleyball program. The opening set featured plenty of bonus volleyball as King's (12-10, 2-8 MAC) posted a 30-28 victory over Eastern (6-9, 2-5 MAC). The Monarchs seemed to jump out to a slow start as they did in the first match, trailing 13-8, but they recorded four straight points to inch within one, 13-12. The two teams traded possessions before the Monarchs tied the set at 20 on a kill from Greenawalt and each team had a chance to put the set away with a one-point lead before the set was tied again at 28 a piece. A kill from Capwell and an Eagles error secure the 30-28 win in set one for King's.

With set two tied at 13 each, the Monarchs offense clicked to go on a 9-2 run that would secure the win in the set, 25-18.

Despite their most efficient set of the match with the Monarchs hitting .500 with 14 kills and just one error, the Eagles led 19-15 and were able to hold off a late push from King's to get on the board with a 25-21 win in the set three and pull within one set, 2-1.

The Monarchs held the early 9-4 advantage in the fourth set, but the Eagles would not fall easily in the set as they closed within one, 13-12. King's then went on a 6-2 stretch to lead, 19-14, before Eastern posted their own rally, 8-1, to take the 22-20 advantage. The teams traded points down the stretch with Eastern ahead, 25-23, to tie the match, 2-2, and force the deciding fifth set.

Eastern struck first with a 2-0 lead to start the fifth, but the Monarchs found their rhythm as they recorded five of the next seven points in the set. The Eagles would tie the set four more times with the last stalemate at 13 a piece, but King's got the final two points thanks to back-to-back kills from Jared Piontkowski to win the thrilling fifth set, 15-13, and the match, 3-2.

Capwell paced the offensive efforts with 16 kills on 23 attempts, hitting .522, with six blocks, three digs, and an ace. Jared Piontkowski ttoaled 15 kills with seven digs, five blocks, and an ace to also fill the stat sheet. Herman added nine kills with 12 digs, while Greenawalt posted eight kills. Beck dished out a team-best 32 assists with nine digs, while Atiyeh added 18 assists, five digs, and an ace. The defense was led by sophomore Mike Bizzoco with 14 digs, while Scholl tacked on another five blocks. Senior Matt Piontkowski also added four blocks in the win.

Eastern was led by Foster Lobb with an impressive 32 kills and 12 digs, while Justin Flor recorded 16 kills and 13 digs. Setter Chris Miller handed out 61 of the Eagles' 63 helpers in the loss.

As a team, the Monarchs hit .248 for the match while holding the Eagles to a .183 hitting percentage. King's held the advantage inside the box score in blocks (12-5) and digs (57-54).
 
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The Monarchs will be off during the week before heading down to Chester, PA to take on American International College and MAC foe Widener University on Saturday, March 26. First game is set for noon min the Schwartz Athletic Center.