United Volleyball Conference St. John Fisher Athletic Communications

St. John Fisher Outlasts Elizabethtown In Five Sets Before Sweeping Bethany

ELIZABETHTOWN, PA – The St. John Fisher men's volleyball team earned a pair of non-league victories on Saturday, beating Elizabethtown in five sets before sweeping Bethany. The Cardinals improved to 13-9 overall and pushed their winning streak to four matches. 

How It Happened: St. John Fisher 3, Elizabethtown 2

Freshman outside hitter Avery Kielbasinski powered Fisher to a five-set win (25-22, 18-25, 14-25, 25-20, 15-11) over Elizabethtown, finishing with 18 points on 16 kills, one service ace and a solo block. Senior outside hitter Gabe La Robardiere added 12.5 points on 10 kills and three total blocks, while junior middle blocker Guillermo Perez contributed 12 points on 10 kills and four block assists.

The Cardinals claimed a tightly contested first set, 25–22, a frame that featured 11 ties and five lead changes. After trailing by a match-high four points at 15–11, Elizabethtown responded with a 6–1 run to take a 17–16 lead. The teams traded points until Fisher closed strong, scoring five of the final seven to secure the opener. Kielbasinski delivered five kills in the set, while senior outside hitter Casey Jackson added four points on three kills and two block assists. Senior setter Aiden Calhoun handed out nine assists.

The Blue Jays evened the match with a 25-18 victory in the second set. Elizabethtown slammed 13 kills while hitting .333, while Fisher had 11 kills and spotted its opposition seven points on errors for a .125 hitting percentage. The Blue Jays used an 8-2 run to open up a 13-7 lead and stayed in control the rest of the way. Arun Gopinath led Elizabethtown with five kills on a .375 hitting percentage. 

Elizabethtown took a 2-1 lead in the match with a commanding 25-14 victory in the third set. The Cardinals' offensive struggles continued, as they managed only six kills and gave the Blue Jays eight points on attacking errors. Gopinath and Mason Boyer each paced Elizabethtown with four kills. 

The Cardinals found their footing in the fourth set, slamming 16 kills while hitting .333 to force an extra frame. Fisher separated down the stretch with a 6-1 run to secure the victory after Elizabethtown pulled within one, 19-18. The Blue Jays had no answer for Kielbasinski or Perez, a pair that combined for 11 kills in the frame. Kielbasinski had six while hitting .400, while Perez, who hit .714, had five. 

St. John Fisher's offensive groove continued in the fifth set, which featured six ties early before the Cardinals went on a 4-0 run to take a 12-8 lead. Jackson had two kills during that push, while La Robardiere and Perez accounted for the other two. The Cardinals, who had eight total kills while hitting .538 in the set, soon after finished off a 15-11, match-clinching win. 

Match Notes

  • Kielbasinski recorded his second match this season with more than 15 kills. It was his third with more than 15 points. 

  • Perez pounded a career-high 10 kills while hitting a team-best .316. 

  • La Robardiere, who hit .286, has smashed 10 kills or more in seven matches this season. 

  • Calhoun finished the match with 24 assists. 

  • Freshman libero Luke Zimmerman recorded 14 digs. 

How It Happened: St. John Fisher 3, Bethany 0

The Cardinals pounded 37 kills as a team while hitting .364 as they made quick work of Bethany (25-11, 25-11 and 25-14) in a sweep. Sophomore outside hitter Coleton Welter slammed nine kills while hitting .400 and had a service ace for a team-high 10 points.

St. John Fisher outscored Bethany 15-5 through the first 20 points in the first set and never looked back en route to a 25-11 win. The Cardinals had 15 kills – Welter had six of them – and registered a .560 hitting percentage in the frame. Fisher also aced four serves, with junior outside hitter Sonepith Keoviengsamay accounting for two of them. 

The Cardinals opened the second set on a 9–1 run and later went on an 8-0 burst to extend their lead to 20-8. Welter had three more kills in the 25-11 victory, while senior Jimmy Roberts, junior Nick Tarataglia and sophomore Evan Hernandez had two each. Bethany hit -.241 and gave Fisher 11 points on errors. 

Sophomore outside hitter Nathan Dreger slammed five kills while hitting .333 as the Cardinals finished off the sweep with a 25-14 victory in the third frame. Junior Bryce Nickson added three kills and a service ace. 

Match Notes

  • Welter led the Cardinals with a .400 hitting percentage (min. 10 attempts).

  • Nickson recorded a team-high seven digs.  

  • Junior James Barrone led St. John Fisher with 18 assists. 

  • Barrone, Holmes and Keoviengsamay each had two aces. 

  • Perez led St. John Fisher with five total blocks, including one solo. 

Up Next

The Cardinals host Elmira College at 7 p.m. next Friday inside Manning & Napier Varsity Gym.