BRONXVILLE, N.Y. – The Elizabethtown College men's volleyball team grabbed two straight set victories against Purchase and Sarah Lawrence Saturday afternoon in non-conference action.
 
With the two wins, the Blue Jays improve to 13-9 overall. The two victories pushes the team past its win total from last season (11), its first year as a Division III NCAA program, with five regular season matches to go.
 
Freshman Blake Hildebrand combined to hit .810 with 17 kills, while classmate Steven Swain registered 16 kills and hit .593. Freshman Dan Barckholtz dished out a total of 40 assists.
 
ELIZABETHTOWN 3, PURCHASE 0 (25-11, 25-16, 25-12)

• SET ONE: The Blue Jays wasted little time taking control of the opening set, charging out to a 10-4 lead, highlighted by three kills by Hildebrand. Elizabethtown continued to press, increasing its advantage to 14-4 after a kill from senior Nick Baxter. The Panthers were never able to get their footing in the opening set, as the Blue Jays rattled off the final four consecutive points of the first, taking the 25-11 win.
• SET TWO: Tied at four in the second stanza, Elizabethtown took control again with a 6-0 run capped off by an ace by Swain, making the score 10-4. Purchase managed to close within five at 14-9 before the Blue Jays ran its advantage to eight at 17-9. Elizabethtown looked to have the match well in hand at 23-12, but the Panthers made one last attempt at a rally, scoring four straight points to creep within seven (23-16). The Blue Jays, however, squashed the comeback attempt with the final two points, taking the second set, 25-16.
• SET THREE: Elizabethtown left little doubt in the final set, zipping out to a 14-6 lead after a kill by sophomore Tim Zieber. The Blue Jays continued to charge, increasing its advantage to 13 (21-8) after a kill by Hildebrand. Elizabethtown finished off the opening straight set win in emphatic fashion with a 25-12 victory in the third.

 
ELIZABETHTOWN 3, SARAH LAWRENCE 0 (25-7, 25-13, 25-10)

• SET ONE: It was absolute domination from the jump, as the Blue Jays took all the momentum from the jump, running out to a 15-3 victory after a kill from Swain. It was never close in the first, as Elizabethtown held the Gryphons to only four more points, taking the opening frame, 25-7.
• SET TWO: The second set started very similarly to the first, as the Blue Jays cruised out a 9-3 lead after another kill by Swain. After Sarah Lawrence closed within four (9-5), Elizabethtown stomped out any chance of a rally, taking a 13-6 advantage after an ace by Swain. The Blue Jays used a late 5-0 run, highlighted by two aces from freshman Cameron Krebs, to move ahead 21-12, on its way the 25-13 win in the second.
• SET THREE: The Blue Jays completed their second straight set victory of the day in the third, charging out to a 14-5 lead after a serving ace from freshman Tony Camillo. Elizabethtown completed the strong afternoon, outscoring the Gryphons 11-5 the rest of the way for the 25-10 win and its 13^th win of the season.

 

• NEXT MATCH
  Elizabethtown returns home Wednesday, Mar. 11 against Widener. Opening serve is set for 7 p.m.