ASHLAND, VA – The 13^th-ranked Nazareth men's volleyball team opened the season on Saturday with a pair of five-set wins, beginning with host Randolph-Macon, before toppling Roanoke. AJ Burda had a career-high 49 assists in the win over Randolph-Macon and senior Owen Wickens had a career-high nine service aces in the victory over Roanoke.
 
Nazareth is now 2-0 to start the year.
 
5 set win over Randolph-Macon, 16-25, 25-23, 23-25, 25-18, 15-13
Nazareth came back to win the final two sets to open up the season with a victory. Burda delivered 49 assists in the win, the most assists for a Nazareth setter since 2020, when Jason Proud had 60 on February 22 against Elizabethtown.
 
After struggling to find a groove in the first set, Nazareth rebounded in the second with its most kills in a set for the match with 15 on a .259 attack percentage. 
 
Following a loss in the third, Nazareth stormed out to an 11-3 lead and never looked back.
 
In the fifth, with the score in favor of Nazareth 13-12, Alex Bertino put down one of his 10 kills to pull within match point. Andrew Bodensteiner, who also had 10 kills in the match on a .333 hitting percentage, sealed the win with a kill to take the set 15-13. Nazareth hit .611 in the fifth set.
 
Wickens led the way with 20 kills and four digs. Josh Weaver also had 10 kills, four blocks, and six digs. Sophomore Nathan DeJoy had a career-high eight kills and four blocks in the victory.
 
5 set win over Roanoke, 24-26, 22-25, 25-22, 25-22, 15-12.
Nazareth showed resilience after losing the first two sets by rattling off the next three.
 
The Golden Flyers were in control in the fifth set with a 5-1 lead before Roanoke scored five-straight points. 
 
With the score at 12-12 Wickens had a kill at the net to change the serve back to the Golden Flyers. After Wickens had the serve, he was able to deliver a kill from the back row to pull within a point of sealing the match.  For the match-sealing point, Wickens delivered his game-high 26^th kill on a nice cut shot. He also had three blocks and six digs.
 
Bodensteiner had a career-high 12 kills on a .579 hitting percentage and also had four blocks.
 
Burda notched 47 assists, while Weaver led the way with 10 digs and six kills.
 
Nazareth returns to action on Friday, hosting SUNY Poly at 3 p.m. and Lasell at 7 p.m.