ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. - The Elizabethtown College men's volleyball team battled back from a 2-1 deficit to force a fifth set, but fell 3-2 to Kean Saturday afternoon in Continental Volleyball Conference (CVC) action.

With the loss, the Blue Jays fall to 10-8 on the year and 0-3 in league play, while the Cougars improve to 12-7 overall and 2-2 in the CVC.

Sophomore Nate Seeger paced Etown, dishing out 43 assists to go along with five digs and an ace. Junior Blake Hildebrand registered a team-high 13 kills, three aces, and seven kills, while classmate Steve Swain was right behind him with 12 kills and six digs. Junior Tony Camillo tallied five block assists and one solo block and junior Dan Barckholtz finished with a team-high four aces. Junior Cameron Krebs recorded a match-high 11 digs. 

Senior Duncan Beilke led Kean with a match-high 14 kills. 

Trailing 2-1 after three set, Etown responded in a big way, running out to a 11-3 lead capped off by a kill from Hildebrand. The Cougars chipped away and closed within five after an an ace by senior Maxwell Thompson made the score 14-9. The Blue Jay, however, stretched its advantage back to eight (19-11) highlight by a kill from sophomore Nick Chapman and an ace by Barckholtz. The Cougars put on one last surge to close within three at 20-17, but Etown knotted the match at two with a 5-3 run to take the fourth frame, 25-20.

Tied at three in the final set, the Cougars used back-to-back kills from Beilke to move in front 5-3. Etown responded with a 3-0 run, behind kills from Hildebrand and Swain. The momentum swung back in favor of the visitors, scoring five of the next six points for the 10-7 lead. The Blue Jays would cut the deficit to one (10-9) after a block by Chapman and Camillo, but that was the final surge by Etown as Kean finished the 3-2 victory off with a 5-2 run to take the fifth set 15-11.

Elizabethtown remains in CVC play as they travel to Immaculata on Tuesday, March 15. Opening serve is set for 7 p.m.