Liberty University Club Sports
James Madison University
Flames spikers struggle at start, down stretch in five-game setback to ECVA rival JMU
2/8/2023 9:11:00 AM | Men's Volleyball
Liberty University's men's volleyball team dropped its second five-game match in as many outings against an ECVA opponent this semester at the Liberty Arena, letting James Madison University rally for a 25-16, 25-27, 24-26, 25-20, 15-6 victory.
"That was a tough one," Flames Head Coach Josh Knapp said. "The boys played well tonight, had a good fight, but we had a lot of errors, including 18 missed serves for the total match. That's far too many to be able to win against a team we should be able to put away. We're a young team and still have a little bit of nerves when it comes to playing in the Arena, with a big crowd in pressure situations. We're looking to step up a little bit this weekend when we travel to JMU and work on some areas where we need to improve."
Playing without senior outside hitter Tyler Wemple, who sprained his ankle in Monday's practice, Liberty was left with a more diminutive lineup, and a shorter bench, and fatigue began to set in down the stretch.
"Our second-string setter, (freshman) Josh Culpepper (13 kills) came up and filled that role really well (for Wemple), but we need to be a quicker team this year because we lost all of our size from last season," said Flames freshman opposite hitter Zach Lamoureux, who had 11 kills and 3 blocks. "We need to be more consistent on first-ball sideouts and serving."
After a slow start in Game 1, the Flames came to life in Game 2, when graduate outside hitter Cross Edwards (team-high 19 kills) spiked one from the middle to tie it at 3 before senior middle blocker John Sauder tied it at 5 with a stuff block. Junior libero Mason Ellenberger (26 digs) then made a spectacular diving save in the center of the court to keep a point alive for an Edwards cross-court kill.
Lamoureux spiked two kills from the right side for 17-14 and 18-15 Flames edges before hitting another off a block and Sauder spiked a solid winner inside the baseline to prompt a JMU timeout, trailing 20-17. The game was tied at 21 and 22 before Edwards spiked a cross-court kill after a phenomenal dig save by Culpepper. A kill by Sauder gave the Flames their first game point and Culpepper's service ace made it count for a 27-25 triumph, tying the match at 1-1.
"Josh (Culpepper) has been moved around between setter and defensive specialist," Knapp said. "He's a great player, a great athlete, and we're trying to find a nice spot for him on the court. He did a great job tonight of bringing some energy that we needed, getting some nice chase-down balls and plays on defense."
A powerful stuff block by junior middle blocker Jared Vazquez boosted Liberty to a 5-3 lead in Game 3 before a solid spike kill by Sauder kept the Flames on top 9-7. Culpepper and Ellenberger combined for a fantastic dig save of an apparent JMU kill on the baseline with Lamoureux finishing the point with a kill from the right side. But the Dukes rallied to seize a 16-15 lead on a stuff block of a spike by Edwards and they went up 20-16 before Lamoureux stopped the bleeding with a spike kill from the right side. Liberty trailed 23-19 before a Culpepper spike from the left side was blocked wide, and clinched a 26-24 victory after spike kills by Vazquez and Culpepper and four consecutive errors by JMU, with two of its hits landing wide and two long.
Sauder sparked the Flames with a kill from the middle for an early 4-2 lead in Game 4 before a Vazquez kill tied it at 8 and Lamoureux's spike down the line put the Flames up 10-9.
"John (Sauder) and Jared (Vazquez) both give a great spot to hold that blocker for our pin hitters, so when we're in system and our middles are running, we get a good look on our (outside and opposite hitters)," Knapp said.
A stuff block by Vazquez and a spike down the left line by Culpepper kept Liberty on top at 14-13 before Culpepper's kill from the right side and Vazquez's from the middle tied it at 15 and 16, respectively. A 6-0 run by the Dukes, featuring an amazing save on the baseline that kept the point alive for a kill from the left side, gave JMU a 22-18 advantage. A one-timed spike from the middle by Sauder and a kill by Edwards off a block out of bounds kept the Flames in contention before the Dukes closed out a 25-20 win, forcing Game 5.
"We had a long string of errors late in the fourth game there," Knapp said. "We're looking to cut those errors in half and figure out ways that we can move on and get those first-ball sideouts that we need to stay in games. We need to keep our serves in and drive balls down when we're attacking, to capitalize by scoring in those moments."
An Edwards spike and stuff block by Vasquez got the Flames on the scoreboard in the decisive game, trailing 3-2. But JMU dominated the rest of the way with several solid spikes and blocks and the Flames could manage little in the way of pushback.
This Saturday, the Flames will travel to JMU in Harrisonburg, Va., for an ECVA Play Date before the DII team hosts one at the LaHaye Multipurpose Center on Feb. 18. The top two teams in both divisions clinch bids to the ECVA East Coast Championships set for March 31-April 1 at the University of Maryland.
"We're looking forward to this weekend," Knapp said. "All these guys have been used to tournament play and that's where they thrive a little bit more, playing consistently throughout that day."
By Ted Allen/Staff Writer
