LEBANON, Tenn. -- On Thursday night, the Midway men's volleyball team saw its 2023 regular season come to a close when it took to the court at Cumberland (Tenn.) in a Mid-South Conference match.

While the Blue and Gold hit .286 and .296 in the first two sets, they dropped a 3-0 (25-19, 26-24, 25-13) decision to the Phoenix.

With the loss, the Eagles fall to 6-12 overall and 0-10 in MSC play while the Phoenix improve to 12-9 overall and 4-4 in the MSC.

In the opening set, Midway jumped out to an early 3-0 lead behind kills from Colton Marsh (Cincinnati, Ohio) and Joey Boujaoude (Cincinnati, Ohio). With the Eagles trailing 15-14, the host Phoenix closed out the set on a 10-5 run to claim a 25-19 victory.

In the second, the Eagles once again took an early lead, holding a 10-6 advantage following a kill by Marsh. Trailing 16-12, Midway embarked on an 8-2 run to take a 20-18 lead. The visitors earned a set point at 24-23, but the hosts rattled off a 3-0 run to close out the set 26-24.

In the final set, Cumberland jumped out to an early 5-1 lead. The Eagles chipped away and cut the lead to 8-6 before the Phoenix closed out the match on a 17-7 run to win the third 25-13.

For the match, the Eagles hit .218 as a team and were led on the offensive end by Jonathan McGuyer (Sierra Vista, Ariz.) who recorded eight kills. Marsh, Boujaoude and Jai'Den Chinnis (Upland, Calif.) all chipped in with five kills apiece.

Daniel Cogo (Padua, Italy) – who just recently surpassed 2,000 career assists – handed out 21 assists, while Marsh led the defensive effort with six digs. McGuyer, meanwhile, collected five digs in a losing effort.

The Midway men's volleyball team returns to the court on Friday, March 31, when it competes in the Mid-South Conference Tournament. The two-day tournament will run through Saturday, April 1, in Bowling Green, Ky. with the time and opponent for the Eagles to be determined.

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