MVB2-20-01

ESU-LIU Southampton Volleyball

EAST STROUDSBURG - Jason Hartzel and Dustin Wood powered the East Stroudsburg University men's volleyball team to an Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association Hay Division victory over LIU-Southampton, 30-25, 30-27, 28-30 and 30-27, Tuesday night.

It was the second straight EIVA win for the Warriors and raised their league record to 3-2. They are 5-3 overall. Southampton, coached by former ESU player and coach Ray MacLean, is now 6-6 overall and also 3-2 in the league.

Hartzel hit an astonishing .654 with 19 kills in 26 attempts and only two errors. He also made 12 digs, second to Brian Harvey's 17 digs. Wood was the match leader with 20 kills and had a .500 hitting average. He also dominated the match with his jump serve, especially in the early games. He finished with three aces.

The Warriors rallied from an early deficit to win the first game as Hartzel made a pair of successful dinks to put the team ahead, Wood produced the 28th and 29th points with a spike and a service ace and Mike Messinger finished it off with a spike.

The second game was similar to the first in that ESU had to forge a comeback and finally won on kills by Hartzel and Wood off perfect sets from Chris James. Southampton staved off a late ESU rally in the third game and scored the last two points with 6-8 Peter Wawrzyniak's blocking for the game-winner.

Behind 10-6, ESU surged ahead in the fourth game as Messinger served seven straight winning points and his teammates, including Tom Shaver and Jarrett Merkel, combined for some key blocks at the net. The Warriors clung to the lead with the highlight two spectacular defensive saves by Harvey and Hartzel. Tom Shaver made a flying kill for the 29th point and Wood drilled the ball off an opponent's hand out of bounds for the match-ender.

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