Drew’s men’s volleyball team saw mixed results in a home tri-match on Saturday. The Rangers toppled Cairn University 3-0 in the first game of the day, only to suffer the same loss to St. John Fisher University that afternoon.
The morning game against Cairn opened with a long rally before Drew scored the first point, setting the tone for the rest of the match. The Rangers gained an early lead, but the Highlanders stayed within a few points for much of the first set.
There were a number of long points and impressive saves and kills from both sides, keeping the spectators entertained even as Drew pulled further away, winning the first set 25-16.
Drew carried this momentum into the second set, at one point going on an 8-point run to assert a significant advantage over the Highlanders.
The game paused midway through the second set as one of Drew’s top hitters of the match, Andrew DuHaime (‘26), suffered a minor injury that took him out of commission for the remainder of the set.
The Rangers did not let the setback shake their confidence; the team came back onto the court re-energized as play resumed and posted a 4-point winning streak, bringing the score to 22-13 and effectively blocking out the Highlanders for the set. Drew closed out the second set with a score of 25-16 once again.
Cairn did their best to rally in the third set of the game, playing with renewed energy to battle the Rangers nearly point for point. While their reinvigorated performance brought them closer to the Rangers in the last stretch, Drew was not to be outdone and rounded out the set 25-21 to secure a definitive match victory over Cairn.
Despite their prowess on the court in the first match, the Rangers proved unable to deliver the same performance against St. John Fisher, who came into the match-up ranked No. 7 in Division III. This marked Drew’s third game against a nationally-ranked opponent this season.
The Rangers fought hard to stay in the running with the Cardinals, trailing just two points at the start of the first set and opening the second with a tied score. St. John Fisher soon overcame Drew’s efforts, winning the first set 25-18 and the second set 25-19.
Drew fell off early in the third set, as the Cardinals gained an early lead of 8-1. The set ended 25-13 in St. John Fisher’s favor.
Top performers of the day included Destan Llolla (‘26) and Ephraim Smith (‘25); Llolla posted eight kills against Cairn and six against St. John Fisher, while Smith turned in seven kills against Cairn and eight against St. John.
Also notable, Jacob Sledz (‘25) posted eight kills against the Highlanders and five against the Cardinals with one ace in each game as well. DuHaime turned in seven kills against Cairn before sustaining an injury midway through.
The Rangers take on Rutgers-Newark for their next game on Feb. 23.
Charlotte Wells is a senior majoring in French and English with a concentration in writing and communication and minoring in humanities.
