After a big conference win over Millersville Thursday night, (3-0), the Falcons, #6 in Division II rankings, headed to the University of Maryland this past weekend to test their game against many tough Division I and Division II club teams. Messiah got off to a slow start in their first pool-play match against #3 ranked in Division I, Penn State- losing 2-0. In the following match, the guys battled back against Baldwin-Wallace, ranked #8 in Division II, to defeat them 2-1. Messiah cruised to a 2-0 victory in their last pool-play match against George Washington, leaving them in a tie for second place with Penn State. The Falcons then had to face Penn State again in a one game playoff to determine who would move on to the Gold Division and who would get knocked down to the Silver Division. Messiah played with a lot of heart and tenacity as they defeated Penn State 25-20 and moved into the Gold Division playoffs. Messiah’s first playoff opponent was MAC rival Penn College. The Falcons played very well and beat Penn College 2-0 to eliminate them from the tournament. Moving on, the Falcons were to face NAVY in the semi-finals. In the semi-final match, both teams played with a lot of determination and made some great plays, but it was the underdog Messiah who once again came out on top, 2-0. The team advanced to championship to face Maryland, who had been dominating each of its opponents all day long. The Falcons played tough, but they clearly were outmatched in terms of size and fatigue became evident in their play. They lost the match 2-0, but were able to walk away with their heads held high holding the second place trophy. It was a great day filled with incredible volleyball, and the Falcons surprised a lot of teams with their level of play.

The Falcons finish second in their annual Fall Tournament on Saturday, November 18th in Hitchcock Arena to wrap up their successful fall  pre-season! The tournament started at 9 am where Messiah battled the likes of MAC Conference rivals Millersville, West Chester, Temple, Susquehanna, and new-comer HACC. However, the Falcons fell short of a clean sweep at the tournament when facing a very strong and experienced adult team in the finals. 10 hours of volleyball, age and experience were all factors against the Falcons as they proudly finished second. The guys played with a lot of intensity and heart throughout the long day.

The guys are already off to a great preason start as they returned this past weekend as Tournament Champions from the University of South Carolina’s Fall Invitational where they were the only Division 3 school in a Divison 1 tournament. The guys beat Georgia Tech, Michigan State, Tennesee, and top ranked Kent State to go undefeated for the tournament. It seems as if the upcoming 2007 season will be promising. Make sure to come and support the guys this year as they work for yet another MAC Championship.