State College, PA—Charleston men's volleyball battled through a five set match to defeat Sacred Heart in the opening round of the EIVA Conference Tournament, sealing the win with back to back blocks from Max Nissen and Pavlin Ivanov in the final points at Rec Hall.
The Basics:
Location: State College, PA (Rec Hall)
Score: Charleston 3, Sacred Heart 2 (21-25, 25-18, 26-24, 23-25, 17-15)
Records: Charleston 14-14 (4-8 EIVA), Sacred Heart 10-16 (3-9 EIVA)
How It Happened:
Set one opened with both teams trading points early, setting the tone for a tightly contested match. The score first tied at 4-4 before three Sacred Heart errors helped Charleston build a 10-7 advantage. The back-and-forth battle continued as the set evened again at 15-15. After Charleston pushed ahead 19-17, Sacred Heart responded with a three point run to take a 20-19 lead. The Pioneers carried that momentum into a four point run to reach set point at 24-20 and closed out the set 25-21.
Charleston responded in set two with a much more aggressive approach, jumping out to a 10-6 lead. The Golden Eagles extended the run behind a kill and service ace from Max Nissen to create separation. Later in the set, holding a 19-14 lead, Charleston delivered its biggest run, scoring four straight points highlighted by two kills from Samuel Alo to push the advantage to 23-14. Sacred Heart cut it to 24-18, but an attack error gave Charleston the 25-18 win.
Set three saw Sacred Heart take early control with a 10-4 lead and later extend it to 16-10 following a three point run. Charleston made key substitutions that sparked momentum, leading to an 8-3 run to tie the set at 21-21. After Sacred Heart regained a 23-21 lead, Charleston answered with a kill and service ace from Samuel Alo to even the score. Sacred Heart reached set point at 24-23, but Charleston closed strong with three straight points to win the set 26-24 and take a 2-1 match lead.
In set four, the teams remained even early with ties at 5-5 and 10-10. Sacred Heart used a four point run to build a lead they held for most of the set. Charleston battled late, facing a 24-20 deficit before putting together a three point run to cut it to 24-23. The Pioneers secured the final point to take the set 25-23 and force a fifth set.
The deciding set delivered a true postseason battle, with the teams tied at 10-10 and again at 14-14 after a clutch kill from Samuel Alo. Sacred Heart briefly took a 15-14 lead, but a service error tied it at 15-15. Max Nissen and Pavlin Ivanov sealed the match at the net with back to back blocks, giving Charleston a 17-15 win in the set and a 3-2 victory.
Offensively
Samuel Alo led Charleston with 18 kills, while Lucas Torres added 15 kills. Max Nissen contributed 8 kills and added 2 service aces.
Defensively
Charleston was anchored by its front row, totaling 26 team blocks, led by Aaron Johnson with 7 block assists. Pavlin Ivanov added 9 total blocks, while Max Nissen contributed 5 block assists, including the match winning blocks alongside Ivanov.
Up Next:
Charleston advances to the EIVA Semifinals to face Penn State on April 23 at 7:00 PM.
