WILKES-BARRE, Pa. - Widener Men's Volleyball finishes their season on a high note, defeating the Monarchs of King's College 3-1 on the road. 

The Pride finish the regular season with a 16-12 record and 3-5 in conference play. This marks the first season of program history for the team to finish with a positive record. 
 
BY THE NUMBERS 

• Matthew Christ delivered a dominant offensive performance with a match-high 30 kills, hitting an outstanding .442 while adding 9 service aces, 7 digs, and 3 blocks for a total of 40.5 points. 
• Setter Josh Matchett orchestrated the offense effectively, finishing with 42 assists and contributing 5 kills on a .429 hitting percentage. Matchett also chipped in 2 service aces, 3 digs, and 2 blocks. 
• Stephen Marquis was highly efficient at the net, tallying 7 kills on .462 hitting while also recording 3 blocks and 3 digs for a total of 8.5 points. 
• Michael Martino contributed across all facets with 4 kills, 5 digs, and 2 blocks, and served 1 ace for 6.5 total points. 

HOW IT HAPPENED 

• Widener opened the night with energy as Matthew Christ dropped a service ace to start the match. However, the Pride fell behind early after a tough service run from the home side made it 5-1. Widener clawed back with a 3-0 run featuring a kill from Stephen Marquis and a block from Michael Martino to close the gap to 8-7. The Pride stayed within striking distance behind kills from Christ and Marquis, but errors and an efficient attack from the opposition allowed King's to pull away late. Widener dropped the first set, 25-19. 
• The Pride bounced back strong in the second set, opening with a 5-0 run behind crisp setting from Josh Matchett and big swings from Christ and Marquis to seize control early. Later, a massive serving run by Christ, including back-to-back aces, helped Widener rattle off eight of nine points to extend the lead to 19-8. The Pride controlled the pace from there, as Matchett continued to find Christ, Marquis, and Martino in rhythm to close the door on the set, 25-14, evening the match at one set apiece. 
• The third set saw Widener in a back-and-forth battle, with neither team leading by more than two points through the midway stages. Matchett distributed well to Christ, Martino, and Stephen Marquis, while the defense, led by Christian Wannamaker and Jarrett Edwards, kept rallies alive. Widener broke through late, turning a 17-17 tie into a 21-17 advantage thanks to a 4-0 run highlighted by a Matchett service ace and key swings from Christ. A clutch kill from Marquis finished off the set, giving Widener a 25-21 win and a 2-1 lead. 
• Widener came out firing again in the fourth, jumping to a 7-2 lead fueled by early kills from Christ and Marquis, plus a service ace from Matchett. The Pride maintained a steady advantage through the middle of the set, with Christ continuing to find success from both the front and back row. Despite a late surge from King's to tie the set at 23-23, Widener remained poised. A kill from Christ and a strong swing by Matchett set up match point, and Martino sealed the deal with a kill to close the set 26-24 and secure the 3-1 victory for Widener.