DALLAS, Pa. – As the calendar turns to April, Widener men's volleyball played their final tri-match, and final two matches, of the regular season. They lost to the King's College Monarchs 3-0 and the Misericordia University Cougars 3-1.

Widener was 11-14 this season, and they were 1-8 in conference play.

HOW IT HAPPENED AGAINST KING'S (Pa.)
Matthew Christ had a team-high nine kills. The team had 31 kills on 102 total attacks. Widener's hitting percentage was .118.

After a slow start, the Pride tied the set 4-4. A 5-1 run by King's put them up 9-5. Widener carefully planned a comeback attempt, trailing behind by just a few points in the middle of the set. The 12^th and 13^th Widener points came on errors by the Monarchs, and the score was 17-13 King's. On the brink of losing the set, down 24-17, Widener scored eight points in a row to take a 25-24 lead. However, a team must win by two points. While Widener never gave up, the Monarchs would go on to win the set. The Pride's last point was an attack error by their opponent. King's won the first set 29-27.

Trailing 5-2 in the beginning of the second set, a 5-0 run put the Pride up 7-5. A Christ service ace was the last point of that run. The two sides exchanged points for a few rallies before King's went on their own stretch of unanswered points. They led 17-11 following a 7-0 push. The Pride would get to within two later on with a 4-0 run. Christ once again showcased his serving ability, recording back-to-back aces. A 5-1 outburst at the end would have the Pride only trailing by one point, but King's put the set away on a kill. The Monarchs won the second set 25-23.

The Pride kept things close early in the third set, tying it 4-4. The score was 6-6 moments later, but the Monarchs scored five in a row to go up 11-6. A 7-2 answer by Widener tied the score at 13-13. The Pride and the Monarchs took turns scoring points for the next chunk of the set. A point by King's was immediately answered by a Widener point for five straight points, so the score was 18-18. The Pride never let the Monarchs advance too far ahead, but King's won the final set. Widener's final point was on a Monarchs' attack error. King's took the last set 25-22.

HOW IT HAPPENED AGAINST MISERICORDIA
Michael Martino recorded 18 kills. Josh Matchett had 45 assists. The team's hitting percentage was .188.

The first set was close for a while, as neither team wanted the other to go on a large run. The Pride were up 8-6 before Misericordia countered with three points of their own. A 6-1 run by Widener a few minutes later put them back on top, 15-12. An attack error by the Cougars was the last point of that stretch. The Pride and the Cougars would tie the score multiple times as the set was nearing "overtime." The set would require more than 25 points to win. Widener led 26-25 after kills by Dylan Beer and Matchett. Although Misericordia was right behind the Pride, Widener captured the 29-27 win. A kill by Christ and a Misericordia attack error were the last two points for the Pride.

Neither team had a strong advantage early as the second set was underway. Tied at 5-5, though, the Pride slowly utilized a 6-2 outburst to lead 11-7. Anytime the Cougars tried to take the lead back, Widener kept scoring. Up 18-13, however, Misericordia went on an 8-2 run to take the lead, 21-20. The two Widener points there were on a Cougars' attack error and a kill from Martino. Widener did not get the lead back, which resulted in a win for the home team. Misericordia won the second set 25-22.

Misericordia started the third set with determination, leading 8-2 in the first part of the set. The Pride put two more points on the board from a Martino kill and a Christ ace, but the Cougars responded with a 4-0 run. The score was 12-4. Although Widener would attempt a comeback, Misericordia matched many of their points. Down 23-14, the Pride outscored the Cougars 3-1. It was not enough, however. A Beer kill was the last Widener point. The Cougars took the third set 25-17.

An Ethan Cox kill was the initial point for either side in the fourth set. Widener would lead 3-1 after a Cougars' attack error. Tied 5-5, Misericordia's 6-0 outburst put them in the lead, 11-5. Widener got to within one point after their own 5-0 run. All five points were on kills, with three of them coming from Martino. The two sides were relentless in trying to gain a bigger advantage than the other, but no one was ready to allow the other side to go too far ahead. Up 23-22, the Pride saw their lead swing the other way. Misericordia scored the last three points to win the set. The Cougars won the final set, 25-23.