Box Score HUNTINGDON, Pa. – The Trine University men's volleyball team split a pair of games in the Beaver State this afternoon. Trine fell to hosts Juniata College before beating St. Vincent College in the second game. Trine was led by John Mikrut with 21 kills on the day, Xander Ikusz had 40 assists.
 
Juniata claimed game one 25-13, 25-21, and 25-17 and limited the Thunder to just .060 hitting. An early 11-4 lead in set one proved to be too much to overcome. Kills by Seth McDonald, Johnson-Kuhao Ho'okano-Pelekai, and Ikusz helped trim the lead to 12-8 but the Thunder would get no closer.
 
Trine responded well in set two, leading early behind kills from John and Zach Mikrut. Juniata again took a 12-8 lead, this time the Thunder answered by taking a 17-16 lead, getting kills from five players and an ace from Bryce Tupaz. The Eagles would close out the set from there.
 
Juniata rode the momentum into set three by taking a 7-1 lead and never allowing the Thunder to get within striking distance. The Eagles had answers for the Thunder offense but not John Mikrut, he notched seven of his eight kills in the final set.
 
Trine took the second game in four sets 25-23, 21-25, 25-19, and 27-25. Ho'okano-Pelekai led Trine with 16 kills in the second match, John Mikrut had 13 and Karl Both punched home a dozen.
 
The Thunder scored 18 of 25 in set one by swing and hit .412. The first six points came via spike from four different men. Trine led most of the set by one or two points but pulled away with three consecutive kills from John Mikrut and Ho'okano-Pelekai to take the win.
 
St. Vincent posted three blocks in the second set and claimed it 25-21, leading by as many as six and forcing Trine to play from behind for most of the set.
 
The offense was humming again in sets three and four. Trine hit .360 in set three and notched 18 kills once again in set four. Set three was tight early on, the Thunder eventually led 10-9 before pulling away with five of six points and then maintaining their five point lead the rest of the way.
 
St. Vincent looked to be on their way to forcing a fifth set with a 19-13 lead. Ho'okano-Pelekai then nailed a quartet of spikes and an ace to pull Trine into a 22-all tie. Trine forced a pair of set points before tying the set at 25 and winning on a pair of Karl Both blocks.