Box Score
SPRINGFIELD, MA - Driving over eight collective hours round trip for a single volleyball match isn't usually worth the time or effort. Nevertheless, Saturday's journey proved well worth the sacrifice for the Crimson Eagles as the road warriors pull off a stunning upset against the top ranked team in the country.
After going down 2-0 to Springfield College - the current number one ranked squad in the nation as well as the reigning DIII National Champion - PBU put the throttle in full gear. The Crimson Eagles turned the tide by bullying the Pride with 15 kills in the third stanza, nine alone coming from AVCA All-American Justin Brubaker.
The visitors captured the fourth set by registering their highest hitting percentage of the night during the frame (.312), once again clobbering 15 kills to help even the score at 2-2. Tied 13-apiece, PBU used two Springfield errors coupled with a pair of spikes to help open up a 17-13 edge en route to a dramatic 26-24 victory to force the tiebreaker.
In seeming control after going ahead 8-4 during the final rally, the Crimson Eagles saw their edge slip away thanks to a 7-3 Pride spurt, evening the score at 11. Springfield secured two of the next three points to go up 13-12 but the visitors proved resilient, snagging the next three straight points to complete the historic upset.
Game scores finished 20-25, 19-25, 25-22, 26-24, 15-13.
PBU, ranked eighth in the latest AVCA Coaches Poll, was actually outslugged by their counterpart as the host group manufactured a slight edge in attack percentage (.315 to .259). However, the Crimson Eagles bettered the Pride in aces (six to three) and overall return percentage (.968 to .928) and were fueled by several timely, clutch plays down the stretch.
Brubaker, the reigning NECVA Player of the Week, walloped his seventh career 30-plus kill outing, finishing the night with exactly 30 on a .328 hitting clip. Ethan Mawhinney was Mr. Efficient for the visitors, punching down seven kills in just nine swings, good for a .778 attack clip. Drew Dillon added 52 assists from the setter spot while Noah Prickett added a double-double by posting 11 kills and 11 digs.
With their first win ever against a top-ranked team officially in-tact, the Crimson Eagles move to 9-2 on the season. Springfield falls to 3-8 overall.
PBU will look to continue their five game winning streak this Wednesday, taking on Stevenson University in the Mason Activity Center at 7:00 pm.
