ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. – Despite the Pride facing the Elizabethtown College Blue Jays for four sets, Widener lost three sets to one. It is the second loss in a row for the Pride and their first road loss of the season.

Widener is 6-4 in the regular season. They are still waiting on a MAC Commonwealth opponent.

HOW IT HAPPENED AGAINST ELIZABETHTOWN

For the match, the Pride registered 45 kills in 112 total attacks. They had 39 assists, with Josh Matchett recording 34 of them. Ethan Cox, Dylan Beer, and Matthew Christ each had a service ace. However, Widener came away with a .196 hitting percentage.

The Pride started the night on a high note with a Cox service ace. Elizabethtown scored four straight points before an attack error gave Widener their second point. The set was within a point for a while, as neither team got too far ahead. Another attack error by the Blue Jays tied the score 10-10. The two sides went back and forth scoring two consecutive points, but an Elizabethtown service ace forced the Pride to call timeout with the score at 17-14 in favor of the home team. The Pride were not able to overcome the Blue Jays' final 5-2 run, with the set ending on a kill from the Blue Jays. Elizabethtown took the first set 25-18.

For the second set, the Pride began with a kill from Christ. With the score at 3-2 Blue Jays, the home team utilized a 7-1 run to make the score 10-3. Slowly, though, the Pride climbed back into the set. With four straight kills, Widener cut their deficit to three. Despite multiple pushes from the Pride to get back in front, the Blue Jays were one step ahead of them. The final Widener point of the set was from a Michael Martino kill, but two Blue Jays' kills finished the set. Elizabethtown won the second set 25-21. The Pride were down two sets to none.

Like the preceding set, Widener earned their first point on a Christ kill. Although the Pride once again found themselves in a hole, they were able to take advantage off back-to-back attack errors from the Blue Jays. Down 12-8, Widener scored five straight points to take the lead 13-12. Widener and Elizabethtown were able to tie the score a handful of times, as each team countered the other's strategy. With the score tied at 24-24, the set went into "overtime" to determine a winner. Courtesy of two final kills from Martino and Christ, Widener won the third set 28-26. They trailed the match two sets to one.

A Christ kill ended the 2-0 start from Elizabethtown as the fourth set got underway. Down 4-1, the Pride tied the score from an Elizabethtown attack error. After a brief time with the lead, the Blue Jays jumped back in front 11-7 before Widener called timeout. Christ was firing on all cylinders out of the timeout, as he had two kills and an ace to cut the lead to 13-11 Blue Jays. Later in the set, down 20-14, Widener executed a 4-1 run off two Blue Jays' service errors and kills from Martino and Benjamin Heist. Although the Pride fought hard, Elizabethtown made a 4-1 run of their own to end the set. Elizabethtown took the final set 25-19, and they won the match three sets to one.

UP NEXT
The Pride head to Wilkes-Barre, Pa. for a conference tri-match with the Wilkes University Colonels and the Arcadia University Knights. Tip-off for the first match is set for 4:00 p.m., while the second match is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.