LANGHORNE, Pa. - Widener men's volleyball secured its first win of the season on the road, defeating Cairn University in four sets on the road.  

The Pride is 1-0 on the season.

BY THE NUMBERS 

• Stephen Marquis powered Widener's offense with a match-high 18 kills, while also delivering four service aces and adding two assists. 

• Quinby Dahl contributed a strong all-around performance, finishing with 13 kills, nine digs, and four blocks. 

• Jason Sandberg directed the attack with 35 assists, while also recording seven digs and two service aces. 

• Josh Akinwale anchored the Pride at the net, posting a team-high five blocks to fuel Widener's defensive effort. 

HOW IT HAPPENED 

• Widener set the tone early in the opening set, jumping out to a quick 3–0 lead behind a kill from Marquis and Christian Wannamaker and a service ace from Sandberg. The Pride continued to apply pressure at the net, using balanced offense from Marquis and Dahl to steadily build separation. Midway through the set, Widener rattled off a strong run highlighted by a service ace from Marquis and multiple Cairn attack errors, pushing the advantage to 20–9. The Pride never let up, closing the frame with consistent serving and disciplined blocking, as Marquis sealed the set with a final kill to give Widener a commanding 25–14 win. 

• The Pride stayed competitive early in the second set, using strong serving from Sandberg and balanced offense from Dahl and Wannamaker to keep the score close in the opening points. Cairn began to gain momentum midway through the frame, stringing together points through service pressure and capitalizing on Widener errors to build separation. Despite late efforts from Marquis and solid net play from Akinwale, the Pride were unable to close the gap as Cairn maintained control down the stretch. The Highlanders closed out the set 25–20, evening the match at one set apiece. 

• Widener took command in the third set, using a balanced offensive attack and strong blocking at the net to steadily pull away from Cairn. After the teams traded points early, the Pride gained momentum behind a series of kills from Marquis and Matthew Randall, along with key blocks from Akinwale and Yavan Patel. Widener stretched its lead into double digits midway through the set and never looked back, closing the frame on a decisive run fueled by efficient setting from Sandberg. The Pride capped the set with back-to-back points to secure a convincing 25–16 win and take a 2–1 lead in the match. 

• The Pride closed out the match with a strong performance in the fourth set, breaking away late to secure the 25–20 victory. The set remained tight through the early and middle stages, with the teams trading points behind consistent offense from Marquis and Randall. With the score tied at 17–17, the Pride found another gear, rattling off a decisive run sparked by back-to-back kills from Marquis, Randall, and Akinwale at the net. Widener maintained its momentum down the stretch, applying pressure from the service line and capitalizing on Cairn miscues to seal the set and earn the road win in four sets. 

UP NEXT 

The Pride have their first home game in Chester, Pa., on Thursday, January 15. Game time is scheduled for 7 p.m.