FRANKLIN SPRINGS, GA - The men's volleyball team hosted conference opponent Barton College on Friday night. The Lions defeated the Bulldogs, 3-1, moving Emmanuel's record to 9-8 overall and 3--3 in league play.

Set one:

The Lions hit a season-best .600 in the opener. They also held Barton to a percentage of .000. The impressive stat line gave the Lions a dominant 15 point win in the first, 25-10. 

Set two:

The second was a completely different story. The Lions led 4-2, but it was the last time either team would lead by more than a point until the finish. With the score tied at 23, the Bulldogs knocked one down, earning the first chance at set point. However, a service error quickly extended it. A kill for Barton was followed with kills by sophomores Eli Zdonek and Carlos Guerrero before Guerrero and freshman Daniel Beacham combined for the set-winning block, 27-25. Despite the tumultuous set, the Lions still recorded an impressive hitting percentage of .379. 

Set three:

The Bulldogs had their best hitting percentage in the third (.296), while the Lions had their worst (.188). The Bulldogs led 13-12 before going on a five point run that put the set out of Emmanuel's reach. Eventually Barton took it by seven points, 25-18 to send the match to a fourth set. 

Set four:

Freshman Gustavo Cavalcanti recorded seven kills in the fourth, leading the offensive effort as Emmanuel returned to dominant form. The Lions hit .385 in the set with 13 kills and 3 errors. Eventually they took it by seven, 25-18, when Beacham and junior Henrik Westhoff combined for a block that gave the Lions the match, 3-1. 

Gustavo Cavalcanti led the offense with 20 kills in just 29 attempts for an eye-popping hitting percentage of .517. He added 5 digs, a block, and an ace to the effort. Carlos Guerrero followed with 13 kills and a season-high hitting percentage of .407. He also had 6 digs and 2 blocks. Daniel Beacham recorded 6 blocks, including two solos. Sophomore libero Nicklas Eichenberger picked up 19 digs, while setter Henrik Westhoff dished out 48 assists and recorded 3 kills. 

Next up, men's volleyball will face #6 Mount Olive on Saturday, March 19 at 1:30pm. 

For more on Emmanuel College athletics, visit goeclions.com.