LANGHORNE, PA - The Cairn University Men's Volleyball team earned the No. 2 seed in the 2024 United East Men's Volleyball Championship tournament which kicks off on Tuesday, April 9.  
 
THE FIELD:
Lancaster Bible College (6-0) secured the No. 1 overall seed as they finished the regular season with perfect record in conference play. Cairn's Men's Volleyball team (5-1) was seeded second after having a dominant regular season in the United East. Wilson College (3-3) was able to lock the 3rd seed with a tie breaker between Valley Forge (3-3) and Saint Elizabeth University (3-3) for the final spot, resulting in Saint Elizabeth taking the fourth seed.
The number one seed Lancaster Bible College will host Saint Elizabeth on Tuesday, April 9 in Lancaster, PA while the Highlanders will host the Wilson College Phoneix again inside the Mason Activity Center at 7 p.m. The winners will face off in the United East Championship at the highest remaining seed on Saturday, April 13.
 
OUR TEAM:
Cairn Men's Volleyball finished the regular season with 6-13 record and 5-1 in Untied East Conference play. Sophomore libero Kobe Cash (Yardley, PA / Calvary Christian Academy) led the team in digs, controlling the opposing serve with 167 digs on the season, averaging 2.61 digs per set. Sophomore setter Josh Alder (Levittown, PA / Neshaminy) set his teammates up for success, averaging 8.16 assists per set with 522 assists this season. Senior opposite hitter Joe Poirier (Nogyang, South Korea / International Christian School Uijeongbu) showed his dominant presence on the offensive for the Highlanders, finishing the regular season with 166 kills (2.63 K/S). Graduate middle hitter Jake Tolar (Fort Mill, SC / Nation Ford) was able to use his length above the net, averaging a conference-leading 0.43 blocks per set with a total of 47 blocks (8 solo, 39 assist) to finish up the regular season.
 
THE MATCHUP:
The No.2 seeded Highlanders will host No.3 Wilson on Tuesday, April 9 at 7 p.m. The teams matched up in a 5-set showdown on April 3. The Phoenix won the first set by a score of 25-20, while Cairn won the next two sets (27-25 & 25-23). Wilson took the fourth set 25-18 to tie the match and force a fifth set. The Highlanders were able victory 15-13 with the home crowd behind them. Both senior outside hitter Will Nase (Harleysville, PA / Souderton) and Poirier had an amazing night as Nase 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 6th 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 while Poirier added 17 kills with another impactful performance by Alder with a career-high 54 assists.