by Casey Burinskas

PITTSBURGH, Pa. – The Penn State Altoona men's volleyball team nearly pulled off a reverse sweep Tuesday night against non-conference opponent Chatham University, but the Lions ultimately came up short in a 3-2 loss to the Cougars.

Chatham (5-1) appeared to be in control of the match through the first two sets, which the Cougars won by scores of 25-19 and 25-22. But Penn State Altoona (1-6) stayed alive with a 25-21 victory in the third, then tied the match by pulling out a 27-25 win in the fourth. However, Chatham was able to grind out a 16-14 decision in the fifth set to win the match in five.

Lukas Weathersbee (Altoona, PA/Altoona) put up a team-high 15.5 points for Penn State Altoona, recording 14 kills, one service ace, and one block assist. Caleb Fries (Altoona, PA/Altoona) also contributed double-digit points for the Lions with 14.5 on 10 kills, seven block assists, and one service ace. Fries also tallied 14 digs.

Jack McKenna (Manahawkin, NJ/Southern Regional) had nine points on eight kills and two block assists to go along with 17 digs. Brody Cocca (Chalfont, PA/Central Bucks South) added 6.5 points on three kills, five block assists, and one solo block, and Michael Hansen (Palatine, IL/William Fremd) had 5.5 points on five block assists and a solo block with two kills.

Axel Jimenez (Los Angeles, CA/Malibu) led the Lions in assists with 26 while chipping in seven digs and a service ace.

Adam Chan (Framingham, MA/Framingham) notched a match-high 20 digs.

As a team, Penn State Altoona tied for the sixth-most digs in a match in program history with 75, and it also tied for the fifth-most block assists in a match with 20. Additionally, the Lions set the team single-match record for attack attempts with 182.

Chatham jumped out early and maintained control throughout the opening set, building a quick 2-0 lead before Altoona settled in. The Lions responded with early points behind kills from Fries and Weathersbee, evening the score at 6-6. From there, Chatham began to find rhythm, using kills to edge in front, 9-6. Altoona stayed within striking distance, getting a kill from Weathersbee and taking a Cougar serving error to keep the difference at two, 10-8. However, Chatham answered by stretching its lead to 13-10. The Cougars continued to apply pressure midway through the set, using another ace and a strong block at the net to push the margin to 16-11. The Lions fought back with a Fries kill and a block involving Fries and Cocca to trim the gap to 16-13, but Chatham countered to stay in front. Late in the set, Altoona made one last push as McKenna and Weathersbee connected for points to make it 19-18, but Chatham closed the door with a run, with the Cougars scoring six of the final seven points and securing the set, 25-19.

The second set was a back-and-forth battle, with both teams trading runs before Chatham pushed ahead of Altoona, 25-22. Altoona came out aggressively early, getting kills from Weathersbee and Fries to jump ahead 5-3. The Lions continued to apply pressure offensively, as Hansen added points at the net to help Altoona hold a slim lead through the early stages. Chatham responded midway through the set to keep things close, but Altoona stayed composed, using Fries and Weathersbee kills to build a 13-9 lead. As the set tightened, the teams were locked at 15-15 following consecutive Altoona attack errors. From there, the lead changed hands, and with the score tied at 20-20, the Cougars delivered two kills and two blocks to go up 24-20. A Fries service ace help cut the Lions' deficit to 24-22, however, Chatham closed out the set with one final kill, securing the 25-22 win and a two-set lead.

In the third set, Chatham struck first, using an early service ace and a pair of kills to build a 4-0 advantage. Altoona slowly settled in, getting on the board behind a McKenna kill and using a Chatham service error to trim the gap to 5-2. The Cougars maintained control through the early and middle portions of the set to keep Altoona at arm's length. A kill pushed Chatham ahead 11-5, and another kill later made it 14-6. Altoona began to shift momentum midway through the frame, sparked by kills from Weathersbee and Kevin Montagna (Lansdale, PA/Lansdale Catholic), along with a strong block by McKenna and Hansen to cut it to 14-8. Altoona continued to chip away, forcing errors and finding success at the net. Seven consecutive points, including a Montagna kill and a Cocca putaway, helped the Lions close the gap to 17-16. From there, the Lions capitalized on Chatham's errors and delivered strong offense. Altoona scored eight of the next 10 points, highlighted by kills from Cocca and Weathersbee. A pair of Chatham attack errors and a ball-handling mistake pushed Altoona to set point, 24-20, and Montagna sealed the set with a final kill, giving the Lions the 25-21 win and momentum heading into the fourth set.

The fourth set turned into a tense, extended battle, but Altoona showed resilience down the stretch to outlast Chatham, 27-25, and force a fifth set. The opening points were tightly contested, with both teams trading errors to remain even through the early stages. Altoona got early contributions from Weathersbee and Fries, while Hansen and Fries teamed up for a block to help the Lions keep pace. Chatham briefly gained momentum behind a series of kills and Lion errors, opening an 18-12 lead that later turned into a 22-16 advantage for the Cougars. But set tightened, as Altoona erased its deficit behind an 8-1 run that included two McKenna kills and a Jimenez service ace to put the Lions up 24-23. After back-and-forth points to reach 25-25, the Lions delivered in the biggest moment. Weathersbee put down a clutch kill to give Altoona a set point, and a Chatham attack error on the next rally sealed the frame 27-25.

The deciding fifth set saw momentum swing early in Chatham's favor, but the Lions battled to the end. Chatham jumped out quickly behind a pair of kills and an Altoona attack error, opening a 4-0 lead. Altoona answered with kills from Weathersbee and McKenna, but Chatham maintained a slim lead through the early points. Midway through the set, Altoona found its rhythm. Weathersbee delivered a service ace to even the score at 7-7, and Hansen added a kill to tie the set again at 10-10. Strong net play followed, as Hansen and Fries combined on a block, while Altoona took advantage of a pair of Chatham attack errors to seize a 12-10 lead and inch closer to victory. With the score tied 13-13 late, the teams traded points in a tense stretch. However, with the set at 14-14, Chatham closed the set on an Altoona attack error and a kill to finish it at a final score of 16-14.

On Saturday, February 7, the men's volleyball team will be back on the road for a non-conference tri-match hosted by Wilkes University. The Lions will face host Wilkes at 12 p.m., then play Cairn University at 2 p.m.