The Goshen College men’s volleyball team played their first home game of the 2026 season in a matchup against the Judson University Eagles on Tuesday. After winning the first two sets, the Maple Leafs lost the next three, giving Judson the win. 

The Leafs got off to a hot start in the game. Taking 10-7 lead largely due to the first-year connection of Nash Hubick and Ryan Kabrich. The Eagles went on a 6-0 scoring run to take a 13-10 lead, before first-year head coach Wyatt Bollinger called the first timeout of the contest.

As the first set unfolded, the Eagles took a marginal lead. Following another timeout, the Leafs found themselves down 22-24. 

With the set on the line, the student section rallied behind the Leafs. They proceeded to tie things back up and after a nail-biting finish from both teams, the Leafs outlasted the Eagles to take the first set, 29-27. 

The second set had the same rhythm as the first. The Eagles got out to an early advantage, taking a four point lead, 10-6. The Leafs rallied midway through the set to reclaim the lead 16-15 after fighting their way back. The Eagles then regained the lead 23-19. The Leafs repeated their set one heroics, going on a 7-1 run, winning the set 26-24 and earning a 2-0 set lead.

The third set began in a similar fashion. The Eagles jumped out to an early lead of four once again. The Eagles extended their lead to as much as 7, midway through the set at a 14-7 lead. Both teams were struggling to keep the ball in bounds, trading service errors between sides. The Leafs found themselves in another hole but with another late set surge, they clawed their way back to reduce the Eagles lead down to three. Judson managed to hold on and take their first set of the game, 25-22. 

There was a noticeable shift in momentum in the Ruth Gunden Gymnasium as Judson became the dominant side. The fourth set saw them have their best start to a set. They took an 8-1 lead, largely in part to their outside hitter, Mason Snodgrass, who had 31 kills in the game and was at the line during this run. The Leafs couldn’t deal with his powerful serves and offensive play. Sensing the Eagles momentum, the home crowd gave it their best to get the Leafs back into it, but it was not enough for the Eagles, who kept their composure. 

With every point scored in the set, the Eagles bench would break out into celebration, not seen in prior sets. The 8-1 start proved to be costly as the Leafs couldn’t seem to get any consistency on offense. The team exchanged blows to conclude the penultimate set. For every Leafs run, the Eagles swooped in with one of their own, keeping the home team at arm’s reach as they claimed the set on a score of 25-20, bringing the match to a fifth set decider.

The fifth and final set saw the Eagles attack early taking a 9-5 lead. The Leafs would answer back with four in a row to level things up but, the Eagles lethal one-two punch of Snodgrass and sophomore pin Reece Thompson proved too much for the  Leafs. The Eagles pulled away, winning 15-11 and completing the reverse sweep taking down the Leafs in five sets, 3-2. 

After the match, Bollinger and junior English major Ben Koop shared their experience about playing in front of their home crowd. 

According to Bollinger, the key to the match was timing, execution, and making plays. Koop believes the match was largely mental and noted that the aggression on offense played a big role in the Leafs success 

However, when the momentum of the match changed in the third set, the Eagles came out with more energy and capitalized on the defensive errors made by the Leafs. 

Bollinger said the team started to play tight, and had difficulty responding emotionally. According to Koop, the team had problems lining up defensively against the hitters of the Eagles. Despite the loss, there were some positive aspects of the team’s performance, as Bollinger explained. They include the efficient offense, blocking, and the ability to make a tough opponent work hard.

On a personal note, Koop, who accumulated a total of 15 points at the end of the game, explained his secret to his success was simply being there. 

Looking ahead, Bollinger is feeling positive about the progress of the team, noting that, “We have a lot of games left, and we’re focused on learning, improving, and becoming more consistent throughout the season.”