BANNER ELK, N.C. --- Junior Mark Shayka amassed a team-high nine kills, but the Lees-McRae men's volleyball team fell to Pfeiffer, 16-25, 25-21, 25-22, in Conference Carolinas play Tuesday evening at Williams Gymnasium in Banner Elk, N.C.
The Falcons (3-0, 3-0 CC) used a match-high 13 kills from Jonathan Martinez while the team swung at a .341 clip in the contest. The Bobcats (0-2, 0-2) saw freshman Hector Serviat (Miami, Fla.) produce seven kills and three aces.
PU jumped out to an 8-2 run to open play following a trio of block assists and a kill from Evan Blair.
The Falcons held LMC to three kills in the opening frame and claimed the set after four total blocks.
A quartet of Bobcats earned kills early in the second while a Serviat ace and block assists from Shayka (Hamilton, Va.) and Rudy Klaas (Dakar, Senegal) gave LMC an 11-8 advantage.
PU responded with 7-2 run after consecutive kills from Martinez.
Shayka had a pair of kills before Serviat accomplished the same feat late in the set to tie it at 20.
The visiting squad went on a 5-1 run to end the set and hit .467 in the stanza.
In the third, the Bobcats jumped out to a 12-8 advantage thanks to strong play from freshman Levi Gifford (Virginia Beach, Va.). The first-year Bobcat earned 1.5 blocks in the stretch.
PU answered with a 5-0 run, capped off by an ace from Sonny Hirini.
Both teams see-sawed with kills before consecutive kills from Martinez and one from Dan Tynski put the Falcons up 21-19.
Despite a kill from junior John Sobel (Holbrook, N.Y.), the Falcons closed out the match with a Tynski kill.
Senior Drew Blecher (York, Pa.) paved the way with 19 assists while junior Keenan Freitas (Hilo, Hawaii) had 11 digs.
The Bobcats welcome East Mennonite St. in a nonconference tilt Saturday, Jan. 23 at 12 p.m. in Williams Gymnasium.
- LMC -
