Box Score OWINGS MILLS, Md. - Juniata posted 21 total blocks, holding the Stevenson men's volleyball to a minus-.022 hitting percentage, as the fourth-ranked Eagles swept the Mustangs at Owings Mills Gymnasium Friday 25-9, 25-15, 25-16 in a rematch of the 2014 Continental Volleyball Conference championship.
Stevenson (6-6, 2-1 CVC), who has beaten Juniata in each of the previous two seasons, fell for just the seventh time in the last 25 matches at home. Unfortunately, three of those have come this season.
The Eagles posted a .375 hitting percentage in the first set with 13 kills and just one error in 32 attempts while totaling 15 blocks and limiting the Mustangs to a minus-.105 attack percentage with 10 errors. The trio of Joe Bortak, Paul Kuhn and Justin Waldorf combined for 10 of Juniata's 13 kills.
After a kill by junior Kyle Pottieger pulled Stevenson with 4-3, the Eagles scored 21 of the final 27 points, including the last seven-straight.
Juniata (12-2, 4-0 CVC) jumped out to an 11-5 lead in the second set before the Mustangs managed to close within 15-12 on three-straight Eagle errors, but that would be as close as they would get as the visitors scored 10 of the final 13 points.
Kuhn and Chad Albert each had four kills for Juniata.
The third set was the most competitive, featuring five ties and two lead changes. Stevenson took its first lead of the night at 5-4, but the Eagles quickly erased it with a 6-2 run to go in front, 10-7.
Leading 15-10, Juniata scored the next six consecutive points to take an 11-point lead before a 6-2 spurt by the Mustangs cut their deficit to seven, 23-16. However, a kill by Bortak and block assists by Kuhn and Kyle Seeley sealed the sweep for the Eagles.
Pottieger led Stevenson with seven kills and four digs while sophomore Nate Ellis added four kills. Senior Wes Richardson had three kills and five digs and senior David Moler had 20 assists and a team-high nine digs.
Bortak finished with 11 kills, including five in the third set, while Kuhn had 10 and Waldorf added eight. Matt Elias totaled 26 assists and a match-high 13 digs.
Stevenson returns to action on Saturday when it hosts Thiel in a CVC contest at 11:00 a.m.