PBU BOXSCORE |
EMU BOXSCORE |
CUMULATIVE STATSHARRISONBURG, Va. -- Sixth-ranked Nazareth split a pair of matches Saturday during the second and final day of competition at the North East Collegiate Volleyball Association Western Division Crossover Tournament at Eastern Mennonite.
Nazareth lost to 15th-ranked Philadelphia Biblical University for the second time this season, losing by scores of 30-21, 36-34, 30-24. The Golden Flyers rebounded to defeat host EMU in four games 30-24, 28-30, 30-23, 37-35.
"They really have our number," Nazareth assistant coach Kyle Salisbury said of Philadelphia Biblical. "They play with great mental toughness. No matter how many times you slug them, they keep getting back up."
Junior Joe Petzoldt delivered 13 kills and seven digs for the Golden Flyers, who dropped to 26-6 overall. No one else had more than five kills. Junior setter Frank Leahy amassed 22 assists to go with two digs and three blocks.
Against Eastern Mennonite, Nazareth defeated the Royals for the second time this season as senior Adam DiCicco produced a career-high 26 kills to go with a match-high 14 digs. Petzoldt posted 17 kills, while Gambeski and sophomore Brian Bunch each had 10. Leahy had a whopping 67 assists.
In the fourth and deciding game, Nazareth trailed by as many as five points before rallying. Nazareth got a kill from DiCicco for the 36th point and benefited from an EMU attack error to clinch the match.
Nazareth returns to action Friday as a participant in the NECVA Tournament at Ramapo. The winner of the 16-team event gains a berth in the Final Four.