LANHGHORNE, PA – The Cairn Men's Volleyball team finished regular season conference play victorious on Wednesday night in a five-set thriller on senior night.
 
Prior to the match, the four seniors (Will Nase (Harleysville, PA / Souderton), Joe Poirier (Nogyang, South Korea / International Christian School Uijeongbu), Noah Ruiz Esparza (Levittown, PA / Berean Academy) and graduate student Jake Tolar (Fort Mill, SC / Nation Ford)) were honored along with senior student manager Danny Smullen for their numerous contributions over their tenure at Cairn and their time leading the storied Men's Volleyball program. 
 
After the festivities, Wilson (7-14 / 2-3 UNITED EAST) looked to play spoiler immediately, taking the lead out of the gate on a 7-3 run to get momentum. Nase led the effort to take the lead back with four-straight kills. The Phoenix had the answer, taking a 17-14 advantage and never leaving space for the Highlanders to mount a comeback, winning the first set, 25-20.
 
The Highlanders held Wilson at bay to start the second frame before Nase and Poirier had their way, taking a 9-6 lead. Wilson responded with four-straight points to take the lead back, 17-14, putting Cairn (6-13 / 5-1 UNITED EAST) in a similar spot as the first set. Ruiz Esparza hammered down a kill with junior middle hitter Tommy Ragonese (Buffalo, NY / Royalton-Hartland High School) blocking an equalizer and tying the set at 17 apiece. Nase picked up the pace late, scoring kills on five of the Highlanders' final nine points as Ruiz Esparza sent the winning kill over the net, tying the game in the second set, 27-25.
 
Set three was knotted up in the first round as neither squad managed to break away. The Highlanders got themselves ahead 15-11 on two kills from Nase and one each from Poirier and Ragonese. Wilson fired back, taking the lead by a small margin. Nase had the final two kills of the set to put Cairn in the driver's seat up two sets to one, 25-23.
 
Sensing their season on the line, Wilson pushed forward, holding the advantage through most of the fourth set, getting ahead by as many as eight points and forcing a fifth set with a 25-18 win in the fourth.
 
Cairn took the serve in the decisive fifth set, going ahead 2-1 on an ace by Nase. Poirier added a kill to stay ahead as the Phoenix were threatening. With the score tied six-all, Nase hammered home four-straight kills to put the Highlanders back in control. Wilson wouldn't be held silent and attacked right back to take the lead 11-10 as the fifteenth and final point loomed. Nase swung to tie the set with Wilson handing over the victory as they were unable to return the ball over the net. 
 
Nase made his season debut and it was a show to behold. The senior tallied 31 kills and 33 points, both career highs (previous career mark was 18 kills & 22 points), the most by any player in a single game within the United East this season and the 6^th most kills in a game in all of Division III, on .383% hitting, putting himself amongst the top five in both categories for a single game. Sophomore setter Josh Adler (Levittown, PA / Neshaminy) was the fuel for the Cairn offense, setting a career-high 54 assists, two more than his previous. Poirier also managed a career-high 17 kills and 17.5 points.
 
The Highlanders will look ahead to the postseason, as Wednesday was the regular season finale, and hosting the No. 3 seed in Langhorne on Tuesday, April 9 for the semifinal round of the 2024 United East Men's Volleyball Championship Tournament.