Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

The No. 13 ranked men's volleyball team split their two matches on Saturday at the Juniata Invitational in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania.

They began the season with an exciting five-set victory over No. 10-ranked Elmira College, winning in the arduous fifth set, 21-19. They started by winning 25-21, 25-22, but Elmira did not go away easily as they battled back to win the next two sets with scores of 27-25, 25-22 to force the tie-breaker.

The two teams each took leads in the fifth set, but in the end, an attack error by Elmira and a Nick Smith kill broke open a tie at 19 for the 21-19 victory.

Smith led the Bearcats with a match-high 15 kills and five blocks. Brady Ambro and Man Wai Choi had 10 kills each.

Scott Standring, who was voted the 2015 CUNYAC Preseason Co-Player of the Year on Friday, dished out 39 assists and collected six digs in the win.

In the second match, the visiting Bearcats took on top-ranked Juniata College and started the match with a tough 25-23 opening set loss. The home team Eagles hit .538 in the second set to win 25-15 and put the Bearcats in a 2-0 hole.

The Bearcats battled back to win the third set, 26-24, by hitting .325. The Eagles took control in the fourth set by winning the first six points to build a big lead. They won 25-17 to clinch the 3-1 victory.

Smith led the Bearcats again with 14 kills and Standring dished out 38 assists in the loss to the 2014 National Championship Runner-Up Juniata College Eagles.

Taylor Higgs, who had 14 digs in each of the two matches today, was named to the All-Invitational Team.

The Bearcats will return to action on Tuesday, February 3, with a 7:00 pm match at Ramapo College in Mahwah, New Jersey.