HIRAM, O.H. – The Medaille College men's volleyball team hit the road for their game against Hiram College to kick off the first round of the AMCC Championships. The sixth seed Mavericks lost in three sets to the third seeded Terriers 12-25, 21-25, and 16-25.
Malachi Jackson (Cheektowaga, NY, Cheektowaga) grabbed two kills and
Matt Dickerson (Lockport, NY, Starpoint) added an ace, but it was the Terriers who took the early lead. Despite trailing 6-10, the Mavs were chipping away at the Hiram lead which featured a kill from
Kevin Cashdollar (Clarence, NY, Clarence HS), and two kills from Dickerson assisted by Cashdollar. Hiram led 13-10 before going on a major scoring streak that the Mavericks could not overcome. Hiram took the first set, 25-12.
Hiram took another lead to start the second set, but the Mavericks charged back. Medaille took advantage of the hitting errors from Hiram and an ace from
Brandon Smith (Lancaster, NY, Lancaster) gave Medaille a 16-15 lead.
Tyler Hassell (Angola, NY, Lake Shore) and Dickerson added kills to keep the momentum rolling but the scales were starting to tip in favor of Hiram.
George Muriel (Hamburg, NY, Hamburg) got on the score sheet with two kills and
Gay Doh Htoo (Rochester, NY, World of Inquiry High School) grabbed an ace and an assist in the set. Hiram edged out a 25-21 victory to take the two-set advantage.
The Mavs started the third set with a block from Dickerson and Hassell. Jackson added two more kills with one of the assists coming from
Joshua Shiflet Jr. (Mechanicsville, VA, Lee-Davis). Medaille shortly held a 4-1 lead before Hiram tacked on seven straight points. Smith picked up a block and Muriel grabbed an ace as the Mavericks tried to stay within range of the Terriers. The offense from Hiram overwhelmed the Mavericks and they finished out the set with a 25-16 win.
Jackson led the Mavs with ten kills and five digs. Dickerson finished with eight kills (.313), one ace, and one block. Cashdollar led the team with 19 assists and nine digs. Muriel recorded three kills and an ace and Smith had an ace and a solo block.
This was the final game for the Mavericks for the 2021-2022 season as they look to build upon their team for next season.
