Three Consecutive Wins for Men’s Volleyball

The Pioneers men’s volleyball team started their season 3-0, following wins over Fairleigh Dickinson University (FDU), American International College (AIC) and Dominican University. For their fourth game of the season, the team fell short to Merrimack College at home, losing 3-1.

The season opener was a five-set match at FDU on Jan. 17. Going into the fourth set after being down 2-1, SHU regained their footing fast and took the set 25-23. They finished the match with a fifth set ending in 15-13.

Sophomore Jarron Popp was the standout player for the Pioneers, leading the team with sixteen kills and adding four blocks against FDU.

Head Coach Adam Niemczynowicz was proud of his team in their first game.

“We responded well to tough situations and came out on top,” said Niemczynowicz.

Four days later, the Pioneers headed home to compete against their next opponent, AIC. This was the men’s first game in the newly renovated William H. Pitt Athletic & Convocation Center.

Opening the first set, Sacred Heart won 25-14. This continued for the next two sets as the Pioneers took them 25-16 and 25-13, securing their second win of the season.

Sophomore Aleksa Mandic contributed to the AIC sweep with eight kills, six aces, six digs and two block assists.

This is Mandic’s first season as a Pioneer. He is originally from Belgrade, Serbia and is a transfer from the University of Hawaii and Missouri Baptist University.

“That is the fun part, when you have a new player coming into your team and they gel well,” said Niemczynowicz. “His attitude has only helped our team, making us and him better.”

On Jan. 31, SHU swept another game at home against Dominican. After a 25-15 first set win, the men followed up with two more, taking the game and completing three straight wins.

On Feb. 1, the Pioneers lost to Merrimack at home, giving them a 3-1 record heading into conference play.

After a near-perfect start to the season, the Pioneers will now open conference play in their new league, the Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (EIVA). This conference includes teams from Pennsylvania State University, Princeton University and Harvard University.

“I am very excited to be in the EIVA, I played here as a player, and I am excited to coach in it too,” said Niemczynowicz. “Our goal is to play the best volleyball. If we do that, we will have a great chance in this conference.”

Sophomore Petr Beranek also talked about his excitement for the new conference.

“I want to beat as many ranked teams as we can,” said Beranek.

The Pioneers will face the University of Charleston on Feb. 8 and 9 in their first conference matches of this season.

About the author

Staff Writer

Leave a Reply