CHESTER, Pa. - Men's Volleyball takes a huge win to keep their playoff hopes alive against the 15-11 (2-4 MAC) Eastern Eagles. 
The Pride improve to 13-12 in the regular season and 1-5 in conference play 
 
BY THE NUMBERS 

• Matthew Christ was electric on offense and reliable on defense, finishing with a match-high 22 kills on a stellar .459 hitting percentage, while also adding 14 digs, 3 service aces, and 2 block assists for a team-best 26.0 points. 
•  Josh Matchett expertly ran the offense, dishing out 40 assists and chipping in 5 kills, 7 digs, and a block assist for 5.5 points. 
•  Michael Martino was a versatile contributor with 9 kills, 4 service aces, 5 digs, and 2 block assists, totaling 14.0 points. 
•  Stephen Marquis was a steady force at the net, tallying 5 kills, 1 solo block, and 4 block assists for 9.0 points. 
•  Anioma Njokanma delivered timely plays with 5 kills and added 4 block assists for 7.0 points. 

HOW IT HAPPENED 

• Eastern edged out a tightly contested opening set, despite Widener holding multiple late leads. Widener jumped ahead early thanks to a service ace and back-to-back kills from Michael Martino. Later, Matthew Christ and Stephen Marquis each tallied kills during a 5-point burst that pushed Widener ahead 19–14. However, Eastern clawed back with a 6–1 run, aided by attack errors and a service ace. Widener reached set point at 24–23 after a Christ kill, but Eastern capitalized on a pair of kills and a final point from Max Bagileo to steal the set, 27–25.
• Widener bounced back in a big way in the second set, using two dominant runs to take control. An early 6–1 stretch saw Christ, Anioma Njokanma, and Christian Wannamaker register kills while Josh Matchett orchestrated the offense. Later in the set, Martino delivered a service ace and followed it with another kill, fueling a 5-point run that widened the lead to 20–12. Marquis capped the set with a kill followed by another from Christ, sealing a 25–16 win for the Pride.
• Set three was a back-and-forth affair, featuring 12 ties and multiple lead changes. Widener opened strong behind Christ, who tallied four early kills. A 4–0 run midway through the set, powered by kills from Marquis and a block from Martino, gave Widener a 14–10 lead. Eastern responded with a 5–1 stretch to even the score at 15. Late in the set, Christ came up big again with three kills over the final seven points, and Matchett added a key kill and block assist. Widener held on during the tense finish to win 25–23.
• The Pride closed out the match with their most dominant frame of the night. A 6–0 run to start the set, sparked by two Christ kills and a Martino ace, forced an early Eastern timeout. Later, a 5-point surge with kills from Matchett and Njokanma, plus a block from Marquis, extended the lead to 17–8. Eastern had no answer for Widener's defense and balanced attack, and Christ's final ace brought the Schwartz Center crowd to its feet. Widener sealed the win with a 25–14 rout in set four.

UP NEXT 
The Pride return to the Schwartz Center on Saturday, March 29th for a Senior Day tri-match against Hood and Immaculata. First serve is at 11am.