The Misericordia University men's volleyball team dropped its MAC opener to #6 Messiah, 3-0, Tuesday night at the Anderson Center.

The Falcons rallied to win the first set, 28-26, and took the next two, 25-19, 25-22.

Isaac Griffin had a team-high eight kills and Jackson Fehnel added seven.

Benjamin Clendening had six blocks and three aces while Griffin and Christopher U'Glay added three blocks each.

Evan Schmidt had 16 assists.

The Cougars led throughout most of the first set and broke a 14-14 tie with a 6-1 run.

Noah Reen's cross-court from the left pin gave Misericordia a 15-14 lead.

Joe Kozak and U'Glay combined for a middle block between two Messiah attack errors to make it 18-14.

Kozak's smash down the middle gave MU a 19-15 lead and U'Glay won a battle at the net for a solo block for a 20-15 edge.

Messiah responded with a 4-0 run and later scored three straight points to take its first lead, 25-24.

After following behind 9-4 in the second set, the Cougars used a 5-1 run to get within 18-15.

Reen had a kill and teamed with Clendening for a block to pull within 20-18, but Messiah scored the next four points.

Misericordia trailed throughout most of the third set, but a Clendening kill and Isaac Drake's ace off the net got the Cougars within a point, 18-17.

Reen capped a 3-0 run with an ace to give the Cougars their first lead, 21-20.

Messiah rebounded with four straight points and went on to close out the match.