MADISON, N.J. – The Drew University men's volleyball team put up a rally in the second set, but lost by a 3-0 count to St. Joseph's-Long Island Friday evening in Baldwin Gym.
 
The Golden Eagles, who are coming off a season in which they finished 26-4, won by scores of 25-17, 25-21, and 25-11.
 
Freshman Tynoah Ehia led the Rangers (4-3) with six kills and five digs while junior Omarf Ortega-Reyes notched five kills, 12 assists, and six digs. Sophomore Jacob Sledz tallied six kills and five digs, and classmate C.J. Addeo threw down three blocks.
 
Tyler Anderson led St. Joseph's (3-4) with 10 kills and five blocks.
 
The first set was close in the early going, with the Rangers outscoring the Golden Eagles 10-9 to start the period before St. Joseph's went ahead to stay with a 4-0 spurt. The visitors led just 18-15 before pulling away with a 5-0 surge. Ehia fired up three of his kills in the set.
 
The Eagles never trailed in the second set after starting on a 4-1 run. But the Rangers stayed within striking distance and used a 6-2 burst to pull to within one (19-18). Sledz started the rally with a kill, and sophomore Ephraim Smith followed with a service ace. Drew was also the beneficiary of two service errors and two attack errors during the run, which included an assist block from Addeo and Ortega-Reyes.
 
An ace from Sledz made it 22-21, but St. Joseph's would score the final three points to quell the rally. Sledz led the Rangers with three kills in the set.
 
The Rangers started the final set strong, jumping out to a 4-2 lead, thanks in part to kills from freshman Jason Barbosa, Ehia, and Ortega-Reyes. But St. Joseph's scored the next three points and would not trail the rest of the way, though the Rangers would tie it twice.
 
Drew trailed just 11-9 before the Golden Eagles ended the set on a 14-2 run.
 
The Rangers are back in action on Wednesday, when they visit Kean University in a 7 p.m. start.