FRANKLIN SPRINGS, GA. – The Erskine College men's volleyball team (8-9, 3-4 CC) was defeated by Emmanuel College (5-10, 3-6 CC) at the Shaw Athletic Center on Tuesday night in four sets, 20-25, 18-25, 25-18, 20-25.
 
THE ESSENTIALS:
Conf. Carolinas Standings | Stats | Scores
Div. II Scores | Record Book | Conf. Carolinas Digital Network
 
THE SERIES
Erskine still leads the all-time series over the Lions 9-7, but Emmanuel has now won seven of the last eight meetings after Erskine won the first eight matchups in the series.

THE MATCH
Set 1: Jacob Whyte wasted no time getting on the board as he tallied a kill on the first point of the match. Later in the set, another Whyte kill capped a run of three straight points won by the Fleet to tie the set at 13. But, the Lions won five of the next six points and took their largest lead of the set at 20-15. Erskine rallied late thanks to yet another kill from Whyte and some Emmanuel errors, but the Lions held on for 25-20 opening set victory.

Set 2: Three early kills from Edgerrin Austin helped Erskine overcome a 6-2 deficit in the beginning stages of set two. The Fleet hung around and even tied the set at 14 apiece following a Whyte kill and an Emmanuel attack error, but nine of the next eleven points and pulled away late to win Set 2, 25-18. Austin had a team-high four kills in the set.
 
Set 3: The teams shared each of the first eight points until an Austin kill gave Erskine their first lead at 5-4. That back-and-forth affair continued into the middle stages of the set until the Fleet eight of the next ten points and took a commanding 18-12 lead, capped by a Cole Vigo ace. A strong serving run from Kacper Rybarczyk set up eight set points for the Fleet, and Austin sealed it with his third straight kill as Erskine avoided a sweep by winning Set 4 by a score of 25-18 and forcing a fourth set.
 
Set 4: Austin had consecutive kills as a part of a mini 3-0 scoring run for the Fleet, who took an early 6-4 lead in the set. But, the hosts won five of the next seven points as the Fleet's lead did not last long. Erskine battled back and got within a point of Emmanuel on numerous occassions, but the Lions kept the Fleet at arms length, sealing a match victory with a 25-20 win in Set 4. Erskine was led in the set by five kills from Rybarczyk.

THE PLAYER
Edgerrin Austin had a team-high 17 kills and Jacob Whyte hit .520 (16 K / 3 E / 25 TA) for the Fleet in the loss. Austin totaled eight digs and Whyte had six digs; both players tallied an ace as well in the loss.
 
THE TEAM
Erskine hit .231 (52 K / 25 E / 117 TA) for the match. Erskine actually tallied 51 assists to Emmanuel's 42, led by a four-set career high 47 assists from Juan Alcoba. But, the Lions totaled 10 blocks to the Fleet's five.
 
WHAT'S NEXT?
The Fleet return home in Conference Carolinas play on Friday for a rematch against Belmont Abbey College (7-5, 4-3 CC) at 7:30 p.m. Erskine leads the all-time series over the Crusaders 9-8, but Belmont Abbey has won the last seven meetings include a three-set sweep in Belmont earlier this year.
 
MORE ABOUT THE ERSKINE COLLEGE FLYING FLEET

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