MADISON, N.J. – The Cairn University men's volleyball team split their non-conference tri-match on the road on Saturday afternoon, falling to Kean University in straight-sets (21-25, 21-25, 15-25), before bouncing back with a four-set victory against host Drew University (21-25, 26-24, 25-15, 25-22) in the nightcap.
Cairn (5-6) stormed out to a 5-2 lead in set one over Kean (9-5), before the Cougars claimed their first advantage at 7-6. Kean held a slim lead near the end of the set (19-17), before rattling off five of the next six points to get to match point (24-18). Cairn made things interesting by grabbing the next three points, but Kean held on to take a 1-0 match lead. Set two saw the Cougars take another lead near the end of the frame at 20-18. However, Cairn claimed the upper hand with three-straight points, highlighted by a kill each by junior Joe Poirer (Nogyang, South Korea / Holden Christian Academy) and senior
Cameron Cronk (Quakertown, PA / Quakertown Community) to take a 21-20 lead. Kean proceeded to close the frame on a five-point rally to take a 2-0 match lead, and the Cougars used that momentum to finish off Cairn in straight sets.
Cairn was led offensively in match one by senior
Joshua Hoagland (Chiang Rai, Thailand / Chiang Rai International Christian School), who posted a team-high eight kills with just one error. Freshman
Moses Gamble (Rocklin, CA / Rocklin HS) followed with seven kills and a team-high 10 digs, while Poirier and Cronk combined for nine blocks. Freshman
Josh Adler (Levittown, PA / Neshaminy HS) dished out a team-high 24 assists in the defeat.
In match two, Drew (6-10) grabbed the early advantage, posting a 25-21 first set victory to take a 1-0 match lead. In danger of falling behind 2-0, Cairn battled in set two, and were deadlocked with the Rangers at 24-all, sending the set to tiebreak. Cairn got the response it needed after freshman
Moses Gamble (Rocklin, CA / Rockin HS) put the Highlanders up one with a kills, and senior
Austin Tea (Rochester, NY / Greece Athena) capped off the set with a service aces to knot the match up at one a-piece.
The Highlanders led 11-10 at the midway point of set three, before scoring six of the next seven points to take firm control of the set to take a 2-1 match lead. The Highlanders built a formidable lead in the fourth frame, leading 24-22, before Hoagland finished off the match with a kill.
Gamble led the offense for Cairn in match two with a team-high 10 kills, followed by Hoagland and senior
Caleb Horning (Adamstown, PA / Cocalico) with nine kills a-pop. Senior
Shea Scott (Harleysville, PA / Souderton) handed out a season-high 35 assists to pair with six kills in the win, and classmate
Josh Moyer (Quakertown, PA / Quakertown Community) grabbed a season-high 15 digs to pace the back row.
The Highlanders will be back on the hardwood on Wednesday, March 1, when they return home to take on non-conference foe Elizabethtown College inside the Mason Activity Center at 7 p.m.
