Mishawaka, Ind.-- Cumberland men's volleyball falls in three sets to Judson University on day one of the Pilot Invite.
Despite a strong showing in set one, the Phoenix attackers struggled to match the intensity of Judson's front row throughout the match. Cumberland ended with a team attacking percentage of .095 compared to Judson's impressive .319.
The Eagles were slow from the serving line, registering 15 errors collectively that created opportunities for the Phoenix. Cumberland showed significant improvements in blocking, totaling eight as a team while Judson finished with five.
Jacob Whyte led Cumberland's offense with nine kills while Austin Smalley added four on .375% attacking. 
For the Eagles, Elijah Gregg and Mason Snodgrass both notched a game-high 13 kills. On the defensive end, libero Jackson Otto led all players with 15 digs.
The Phoenix seized an early advantage in set one with three straight points, during which Kix Ferrell and Louis Akeo connected on a pair of swings from the pins. The run would end there, however, as a service error granted the Eagles an opportunity to recover the points.
The teams batted around the lead as the frame progressed with neither side managing to string together more than a three-point run. As the score reached a 22-22 deadlock, the Eagles surged ahead with consecutive kills to reach game point. Whyte kept the Phoenix in contention with his fifth kill of the match and a setting error from Judson tied the game once again.
Ultimately, back-to-back kills from Judson's Trevor Kozlowski gave them the set in extra points, 26-24.
After a closely contested start to set two, the Eagles pulled ahead with a 6-0 run that forced the Phoenix to burn a timeout while trailing 12-8. The break worked in Cumberland's favor as an attacking error by Judson briefly interrupted their momentum.
The Phoenix attempted to chip away at the deficit with kills from Kaden Kuehler and Smalley, but a decisive 5-0 run from the Eagles maintained their lead.
With Judson nearly doubling Cumberland's kill count, they secured a convincing 25-15 set two victory.
The Eagles carried their energy into the third frame with an early four-point run, but Cumberland's front row tightened their defense to avoid falling into another hole. With consecutive blocks at both pins, the Phoenix found their first lead of the match since set one at 7-6.
The teams battled closely through the set's middle stages with Cumberland relying heavily on their defensive efforts and capitalizing on numerous service errors from the Eagles.
At 16-16, Judson broke the set open with a run of five unanswered points. The Phoenix struggled offensively, totaling just five kills in the frame, leaving them trailing just a few steps behind the Eagle in the final push.
A kill from Kozlowki concluded the set with a 25-21 score.
The Phoenix will conclude the Pilot Invite with two games tomorrow, kicking off at 1:00 PM CT against Culver-Stockton. Immediately following that match, Cumberland will face Calumet College of St. Joseph.