WILKES-BARRE, Pa. – The Drew University men's volleyball team closed out its 2024 season with a tight three-set loss at Wilkes University on Wednesday evening.
 
The Colonels (19-8) won by scores of 25-22, 25-23, 25-21.
 
The matched marked the last time the two squads will meet as non-conference foes, as the two will both join the Continental Volleyball Conference next season after competing as independents.
 
Despite the loss, Drew finishes its third season of varsity play with five more wins than either of its first two teams.
 
Sophomore Andrew DuHaime paced the Rangers (14-15) with 12 kills while junior Ephraim Smith posted six kills and 10 digs. Sophomore Jason Barbosa notched five kills while junior Jacob Sledz contributed four kills and 11 digs. Senior Omarf Ortega-Reyes closed out his career with 27 assists and nine digs.
 
Jackson Shafer led Wilkes with 18 kills.
 
The first set was an extremely close affair in which neither side led by more than three. The Rangers held an 18-16 lead before the Colonels used a 5-1 run to go in front to stay. A kill from DuHaime made it 23-22, but Wilkes scored the last two points on a Drew service error and a kill from Shafer.
 
The second set was even closer, as the lead never exceeded two for either team. A late 3-0 run that included kills from junior C.J. Addeo and Smith put the Rangers up 20-18, but another 5-1 allowed Wilkes to pull way down the stretch once again.
 
Drew opened the final set on a 4-0 run that included a kill and an ace from Sledz. Wilkes came back to take the lead at 12-11, and the Rangers held their final lead of the night at 13-12 before the Colonels used a 5-1 run to open up a three-point edge. Drew pulled to within one at 20-19, and even after a 3-0 Colonels surge, the Rangers came back to score the next two points and make it 23-21. However, Wilkes ended the match on a pair of Shafer kills.