MORRISTOWN, N.J. — The St. Elizabeth University men's volleyball team pushed Valley Forge to the limit Friday night, but ultimately fell in a hard-fought five-set thriller, 3–2, at St. Joseph's Hall.

The Eagles opened the match strong, taking the first set 25–16 behind an aggressive offensive attack and strong serving pressure. Valley Forge answered in the second set, evening the match with a 25–20 win. St. Elizabeth regained momentum in the third set, claiming a 25–17 victory to move within one set of the match.

Valley Forge refused to go quietly, rallying to take the fourth set 25–23 and forcing a decisive fifth set. The final frame went back and forth, but Valley Forge edged out the Eagles 15–10 to secure the match.

Kennedy Ibezim led St. Elizabeth with a match-high 13 kills and added key defensive plays at the net, while Carlos Saldana chipped in 10 kills. Enock Joachim contributed eight kills and was active defensively, and Akash Jenkins added eight kills while helping anchor the block. Setter Randel Romero directed the offense efficiently, finishing with 38 assists on the night.

Defensively, the Eagles recorded 10 total team blocks and were led in the back row by libero Jameel Wright, who posted 29 digs to keep rallies alive.

Up Next for the Eagles

The Eagles will return to action on Thursday, February 5th, as they travel to Brooklyn, NY, to face Brooklyn College, with match time set for 7:00PM.