The Lancaster Bible College Men's Volleyball team hosted their first home tri-match of the 2026 season on Saturday as they lost in four sets to Elizabethtown and won in straight sets against Widener. The Chargers move to 4-4 overall while the Blue Jays improve to 10-1 overall and the Pride fall to 3-5 overall.
 
vs Elizabethtown – 1-3 Loss (24-26, 26-24, 23-25, 23-25)
 
How it Happened:
The teams were tied on the first seven exchanges as Braden Escover (Fr.) picked up three early kills, then Matt Degan (Fr.) picked up a dig-kill on a good defensive play as LBC led 9-7. The Chargers then got three points in a row from a kill and a block by both Kevin Bryant (Jr.) and Jaiden Flanagan (Jr.) for a four-point lead, but the Blue Jays answered with four in a row to tie the set at 12-12. Elizabethtown then pulled in front by one as the teams then traded blows for several minutes, but the Blue Jays pulled away to reach set point before the Chargers rattled off three straight points to force extras. E-Town managed to close out the set 26-24 to take an early advantage.
 
The Chargers got out to a 4-1 lead after three straight E-Town errors, then Escover picked up back-to-back kills for a four-point lead. The Blue Jays managed to close the lead with four straight to tie it 10-10, then the teams traded two-point burst as the set remained tight. A block by Bryant and Escover put LBC up one, then after losing the lead they earned it right back to go up 22-21. The Chargers reached set point before Elizabethtown had two kills to force extra points, but Escover and Carson Hoover (Jr.) each landed kills to close out the set 26-24 and even up the match at 1-1.
 
Bryant and Hoover each had kills as the Chargers led 3-2 early, then a dump by Timothy Fletcher (So.) capped a three-point run to put LBC up 8-6. E-Town swung back in front before Flanagan and Devin Galloway (Jr.) each had kills to put LBC back up 10-9. The Chargers then built a three-point lead at 16-13 after two kills from Escover, but the Blue Jays chipped away and took the lead back at 19-18. The lead then traded hands as the teams were tied at 23, but Elizabethtown closed out the set two points later on a kill to go up 2-1 in the match.
 
The fourth set started in the Blue Jays' hands as they took a 5-2 lead, then built it up to seven points at 15-8 after a few Charger errors. LBC responded with a five-point run including two kills from Hoover to pull within two, then back within one at 16-15 on a block by Escover and Bryant. Elizabethtown then pulled back up by five for match point, then the Chargers fended off four in a row before the Blue Jays closed it out 25-23 and took down the Chargers in four sets.
 
By the Numbers:
- The Chargers held a slight edge in kills 51-49 and led in blocks 12-8, while the Blue Jays dominated in service aces with six to the Chargers' one
- Carson Hoover (Jr.) led the Chargers with 15 kills and 11 digs for a double-double
- Braden Escover added 12 kills with five total blocks
- Kevin Bryant notched a game-high eight blocks with 10 kills as well
- Timothy Fletcher set a new career-high with 45 assists and Nicholas Marion (Sr.) recorded a season-high 17 digs
- The Blue Jays were led by Braydon Ambruster with a match-high 16 kills

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 vs Widener – 3-0 Win (25-16, 25-22, 25-18)
 
How it Happened:
Widener pulled out to a 5-2 lead in set one, then the Chargers came back to tie it at 7-7 on a kill by Braden Escover. After nine tied scores in a row throughout the middle of the set, the Chargers thundered to the finish line as they closed with nine straight points led by three service aces from Carson Hoover, racing to a 25-16 set victory to take the early 1-0 advantage.
 
The second set began like the middle of the first with tied scores on the first seven points, then Zeke Clark (Jr.) landed a service ace for a 9-7 Chargers lead. Jaiden Flanagan then had a few kills to help keep a steady three-point lead for the Chargers, then the Pride went on a late three-point run to tie the set at 18. The Chargers responded later with three in a row with two kills and a block by Kevin Bryant, then Bryant, Flanagan, and Escover each had kills late to seal a 25-22 set two victory.
 
The Chargers jumped out to an early lead in set three with a four-point run to lead 6-3, seeing a solo block by Escover and a service ace from Bryant on the run. Widener pulled within one several times, but Hoover landed a kill to get the lead back to three. Later in the set, Hoover had another kill to extend the lead to four, then a three-point run ending with a Bryant block made the lead seven points at 21-14. The Pride responded with three in a row, but LBC won four of the final five points as Flanagan landed the final blow in a 25-18 set win and a 3-0 Chargers sweep of the Pride.
 
By the Numbers:
- The Chargers dominated in kills 41-23 and held Widener without a service ace 5-0, while the Pride led in blocks 7-6
- Kevin Bryant led the Chargers with a season-high 13 kills and four blocks
- Carson Hoover made it two double-doubles on the day with 12 kills and 10 digs, adding a match-high three service aces
- Nicholas Marion had a team-high 11 digs and Timothy Fletcher had 32 assists
- The Pride were led by Matthew Randall with a team-high eight kills

Information to Know:
The Chargers are now 4-2 all-time against Elizabethtown with this being their first home loss against the Blue Jays and their first loss at home this season, while they are now 2-0 all-time against Widener. Kevin Bryant now leads the Chargers with 74 kills and 35 total blocks this season.
 
Up Next:
The Chargers remain at home on Tuesday, February 3 as they host #4-ranked Messiah in the Horst Athletic Center at 7:00 p.m.