LANGHORNE, Pa. – The No. 1 seed Cairn University men's volleyball team won, 3-2 (22-25, 25-19, 25-18, 22-25, 15-10) in a fitting five-set thriller to claim their second-straight Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) Championship over No. 2 seed Saint Elizabeth University at home on Saturday evening.
"Our guys are thrilled to have won back-to-back CSAC titles." remarked first-year Head Coach
Spencer Jacob.
"Nothing was given, everything was earned. They worked extremely hard all year, powered through injuries, and maintained composure in critical moments. I'm proud to be coaching these men."
Both teams expectedly battled evenly early on and were deadlocked at 21 a-piece near the end of the first set. Saint Elizabeth (14-6, 10-2 CSAC) gained the advantage following a three-point swing and finished off the set to take a 1-0 match lead, mirroring the conference championship match from one year prior.
Both teams again engaged in a hotly-contested second set, leading to an 18-18 stalemate at the midway point. However, this time it was Cairn (16-4, 12-0 CSAC) that went on a run, this time to the tune of four-straight points to take a 22-18 lead, and the Highlanders finished off the set to even up the match.
The Highlanders rode that momentum into set three, dominating the Eagles in the early en-route to a 13-3 lead. Saint Elizabeth got back in the mix with four-straight points, but a three-point swing by the Highlanders reclaimed momentum as Cairn put the Eagles away to take a 2-1 match lead.
Cairn had an opportunity to close out the match in set four, holding a 17-16 edge at the midway point, but the Eagles would not go quietly, rattling off four-straight points to take command and win the set, sending the match to a decisive fifth-and final frame.
The undisputed two best teams in the conference put on a show in the final stanza and were tied at nine a-piece with the CSAC title on the line. That was when the Highlanders made their run; a five-point swing including thee kills from junior
Joshua Hoagland (Chiang Rai, Thailand / Chiang Rai International Christian School) to take a 14-9 lead. The Eagles claimed one more point, before one final swing from junior
Caleb Horning (Adamstown, PA / Cocalico) found the hardwood, making the Highlanders King's of the CSAC once again.
Cairn was led offensively by sophomore
Will Nase (Harleysville, PA / Souderton) who hammered home a team-high 15 kills to go along with 12 digs. Horning matched Nase with 12 digs and deposited seven kills, while Hoagland and senior
Dave Cassel (Silverdale, PA / Pennridge) each contributed eight kills. Hoagland also posted a match-high six blocks. Junior
Shea Scott (Harleysville, PA / Souderton) dished out a match-high 40 assists with no errors, while classmate
Josh Moyer (Quakertown, PA / Quakertown Community), who was named the CSAC Championship Tournament's Most Valuable Player, scooped up a career-high 26 digs without a single receiving error in the contest.
The Highlanders finished the season with a 16-4 record overall including a perfect 12-0 conference record to go along with their two postseason victories. The Highlanders closed the campaign on a 15-match win streak and will await the results of the NCAA Division III Men's Volleyball selection show on April 11 at 10 AM, which will decide the at-large bids to the NCAA Tournament.
