WILKES-BARRE, PA (February 21, 2026) - Men's Volleyball opened its tri-match on Saturday afternoon with a thrilling comeback victory before falling in the later slate, sweeping Manhattanville 3-0 (25-23, 25-19, 25-19) before being swept by Hunter 3-0 (13-25, 13-25, 22-25) inside McGrane Gymnasium.

In the opener against Manhattanville, the Monarchs showed early resilience, rallying from an 8-16 deficit in the first set to steal momentum and take the frame, 25-23. King's carried that energy into the second set, using a balanced offensive attack and strong play at the net to secure a 25-19 win. The Monarchs closed out the match in the third with another 25-19 decision, finishing the sweep behind efficient hitting and a strong blocking presence.

Greg Bousquet led the Monarchs offensively with 12 kills and a team-best .385 hitting percentage, while Alex Martellacci added nine kills and three aces. Brady Taylor orchestrated the offense with 21 assists. Bousquet anchored the defense with 10 of of the Monarchs' 39 digs while Alex Schoch stood tall at the net with a solo block and seven block assists.

In the second match of the day, Hunter seized control early and never relinquished it, taking the first two sets by identical 25-13 scores. The Monarchs showed fight in the third, keeping the set tight late, but the Hawks held on for the 25-22 win to complete the sweep.

Antonio Tavarez paced King's with eight kills, while Nathan Yelinko and Logan Aikens added three kills of their own. Taylor finished with 22 assists on .667 hitting percentage while he and Mason Lesher led the defensive effort with six digs apiece.

The Monarchs will look to bounce back in their next outing as they take on Misericordia at home on Thursday at 7:00 p.m. in their conference opener.

--MONARCHS--