WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – The top seeded Erskine College men's volleyball team (2-1) defeated #4 Lancaster Bible College (1-2) 25-19, 25-15, 25-17 in the third place game of the NCCAA National Championships in Carolina University's Williams Gym on Friday.

The Fleet lost a five-set thriller in their pool play finale earlier Friday against Ottawa University Arizona that eliminated them from title contention.
 
THE ESSENTIALS:
Conf. Carolinas Standings | Stats | Scores
Div. II Scores | Record Book | Conf. Carolinas Digital Network
 
THE SERIES
The Fleet and Spirit had never faced off before today's match in the NCCAA Championships.

MATCH 1: Ottawa University Arizona
Set 1: Erskine controlled the opening set for large portions, leading 17-14 and 22-20 at various points. The Spirit battled back late and after a Kacper Rybarczyk kill to level the set at 24 apiece, tallied the final two points to take opening set 26-24.
 
Set 2: The second set was role reversal as Ottawa University Arizona took the first four points of the set and ballooned the lead to 11-5 before an Erskine timeout. The Fleet responded with a 6-1 scoring run fueled by Tome Filkov and Jason Sall. The remainder of the set was back-and-forth before an Edgerrin Austin kill and a Spirit attack error ended the second set with a 27-25 victory.
 
Set 3: In the third set, a seven-point run led by Juan Alcoba's serve gave the Fleet a 16-12 lead. The Fleet led 24-22 late, but couldn't convert on two set points, and the Spirit rallied late and won the set 28-26.
 
Set 4: Jacob Whyte tallied three kills during a 7-0 Fleet run early in the fourth set, and Erskine never looked back, winning the set 25-14, and forcing a winner-take-all fifth set.
 
Set 5: Erskine overcame a slow start after Ottawa University Arizona took the first four points of the set, as a Whyte kill leveled the set at 7 apiece. But, the Fleet never got over the hump to take the lead, and lost set 5 by a score of 15-11.
 
THE PLAYER
Kacper Rybarczyk was the only Fleet player in double digits in kills with 11. The freshman outside hitter also had a team-high 3 aces and 9 digs in the loss.
 
THE TEAM
The Fleet had just a .100 attack percentage (42 K, 28 E, 140 TA). Erskine tallied 9 aces to the Spirit's 5, but Ottawa University Arizona finished with 59 digs to just 36 for the Fleet.

MATCH 2: Lancaster Bible College
Set 1: Jacob Whyte and Kacper Rybarczyk got the Fleet on the right foot with four and three kills, respectively, as Erskine cruised to a 25-19 victory in the opening set.
 
Set 2: The Fleet had a balanced attack in set 2, as six different players tallied a kill, and Erskine used an 8-3 run to open the set to take set number 2 by a score of 25-15.
 
Set 3: Whyte continued his dominant performance in the third place game, totaling five kills and a service ace in the third set. He and Josh Arrowood picked up kills on the final two points of the match as the Fleet took the third set 25-17 and finished off a sweep of Lancaster Bible College.
 
THE PLAYER
Jacob Whyte had a game-high 13 kills and 4 aces, while also adding a joint-team high 6 digs for the Fleet. Whyte hit .478 (13 K, 2 E, 23 TA) in the match as the freshman outside hitter led the way for Erskine in the third place game.
 
THE TEAM
Erskine hit .351 (37 K, 10 E, 77 TA) against Lancaster Bible College including a dominant .458 hitting percentage in the second set. The Fleet also totaled 9 service aces, including 4 from Whyte, and Cole Vigo finished with four of the Fleet's six blocks in the match.

WHAT'S NEXT 
Erskine begins regular season play with a five-match road stretch, beginning with Reinhardt University on Wednesday night at 7 p.m.
 
MORE ABOUT THE ERSKINE COLLEGE FLYING FLEET

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