FRANKLIN SPRINGS, GA - The men's volleyball team hosted the Limestone Saints on Tuesday night. After losing the first two sets, the Lions pulled off an epic reverse sweep to top the Saints in five, 3-2. The win moves Emmanuel's record to 3-2.
The Lions scored the first point of the night, but the Saints answered with four straight, pulling them into a lead they never gave up. Emmanuel hung around for awhile, but a late push by Limestone gave them the opening set by 8 points, 25-17.
Emmanuel opened up a 5-1 lead in the second set. But with the Lions leading 12-9, a 6-1 run for the Saints gave them another lead that they would never forfeit. Eventually they took the set by five points, 25-20.
Down 13-12 in the middle of the third, Emmanuel faced a must-win situation in order to avoid getting swept. An unanswered five point run fueled the beginning of an epic comeback for the Lions before freshman Gustavo Cavalcanti recorded a kill that gave Emmanuel their first set of the night, 25-19.
The Lions carried their newfound momentum into set four, building a 10-5 advantage in the early going. However, the Saints weren't going to allow a tiebreaker set without a fight as they soon put up a six point streak that tied the game at 19. Four of Emmanuel's next six points came from sophomore Eli Zdonek, who put on a show in front of the boisterous home crowd. Kills from Cavalcanti and junior Harrison Coehlo added to the run as Zdonek went on to put away the set for the Lions, 25-22.
Cavalcanti began the fifth set with a kill for the Lions, setting the tone for the tiebreaker set. Leading 4-3, Emmanuel scored four consecutive points to gain a five point advantage, 8-3. The Lions maintained their edge temporarily, but a late push from the Saints slowed Emmanuel's momentum as Limestone managed to tie the score at 13. A clutch kill from sophomore Carlos Guerrero was followed by Cavalcanti's fifth ace of the match, putting it away for Emmanuel in epic fashion. The Lions walked away with the comeback victory, 3-2.
Eli Zdonek led the way for the Lions, putting up a career-best performance with 19 kills, 2 aces, 2 digs, and a block. Gustavo Cavalcanti followed with a career-high of his own, finishing with 17 kills, 5 aces, 5 digs, and 3 blocks.
Next up, men's volleyball will travel to the Tar Heel State to face their first conference opponent of the season, Lee's-McRae. First serve is slated for 7:00pm on Friday, February 11.
For more on Emmanuel College athletics, visit goeclions.com.
