ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. – Head coach Matt Hamilton earned his first win as a collegiate men's volleyball coach, as Elizabethtown dropped Alvernia in straight sets Tuesday night in non-conference action.
 
With the win, the Blue Jays improve to 1-1 on the year, while the Golden Wolves fall to 2-3.
 
Senior Nick Baxter hit .412 with 18 kills to lead the way for Elizabethtown. Baxter is six kills away from reaching 1,000 kills for his collegiate career between Wilson and Elizabethtown. Freshman Blake Hildebrand hit .429 with 11 kills and nine digs while classmate Dan Barckholtz registered his first career double-double with a match-high 32 assists and 10 digs. Junior Joey Nelson tallied a match-best 14 digs.
 
Junior Logan McGinley registered a team-high 12 kills and junior Mike Monczewiski dished out 20 assists for Alvernia.

ELIZABETHTOWN 3, ALVERNIA 0 (25-14, 25-20, 25-19)

• SET ONE: The Blue Jays snagged all the momentum midway through the opening set, as freshmen Tony Camillo and Steve Swain shut the door on the Golden Wolves with a block, making the score12-7 and forcing a timeout by the visitors. After Alvernia closed within two (13-11), Elizabethtown extended its lead once again, but the home squad rattled off five straight points (20-12), forcing another timeout by the Golden Wolves. Camillo and Swain ended the opening set in emphatic fashion, blocking an attack by graduate student Anthony Dadson and giving the Blue Jays the 25-14 first stanza win.
• SET TWO: Set two was tighter earlier, as Camillo tied the match at nine with a kill from Barckholtz. After tying the match again at 10, Elizabethtown went on a 5-1 run, capped off by an ace by Camillo to move ahead 15-11. The visitors then used a 6-2 rally of their own to knot the match up at 17 after a kill by junior Josh Stewart. With the second stanza tied at 18, the Blue Jays slammed the door, going on a 7-2 run, finished off by a kill from Baxter to grab the 2-0 lead, 25-20.
• SET THREE: Elizabethtown continued to hold the momentum in the third, running out to a 10-4 lead after a kill from Hildebrand. The home team then pushed its advantage to 16-9 before Alvernia rattled off three straight points, forcing a timeout by the Blue Jays. The Golden Wolves would move within three (16-13) after the timeout, but would never threaten anymore than that, as Elizabethtown grabbed the third set, 25-19, for the team's first victory of the season.

 

• NEXT MATCH
  Elizabethtown continues its run of six home matches to start the season, welcoming Wilkes on Thursday, Jan. 23. Opening serve is set for 7 p.m.