PITTSFORD, N.Y. – The St. John Fisher College men's volleyball team took the court for the first time in the college's history Friday night and came out victorious in their first two matches both in straight sets. In the first match the Cardinals defeated Bard College 25-12, 25-20, 25-15 and the followed up by taking down Wilkes University 25-23, 25-19, 25-20. With the wins Fisher improves to 2-0, while both Bard and Wilkes fall to 0-2 overall.
 
The Cardinals put on a dominating performance offensively in their first ever match finishing with a whopping 37 kills compared to just 10 for Bard.
 
Mike Strumpfler led the way offensively for Fisher totaling nine kills and a very impressive .692 hitting percentage. Senior Joe Kenney was not far behind finishing with seven kills, Matt Broderick added six, while Paul Hackford and Kevin Cahil each pitched in five. Setters Hackford and Quinn Magiera notched 18 and 14 assists, respectively, throughout the match. Libero David Cerqua led the way defensively posting eight total digs.
 
Hackford was very excited to finally get the first match under their belts.
 
"It was great to see the entire team come together and put on a great performance for all the fans who came out for our first match," noted the freshman.  "All the work we have been putting into practice the past few weeks could really be felt on the court. I can't wait to play another two matches tomorrow."
 
The Cardinals took advantage from the service line in the second match versus Wilkes, outscoring the Colonels nine service aces to one in the overall. Strumpfler and Kenney each posted three throughout the match.
 
After winning both of the back-and-forth first two sets, the Cardinals pulled away in the third with the help of a 10-2 run, including two blocks each from both Cahil and Ben De La Cruz to win the match in straight sets.  
 
Hackford finished off an impressive first night posting a team-high eight kills, nine assists, and two service aces. De La Cruz put away six kills, while Cahil pitched in another five.
 
Magiera again led the way from the setter position, spreading the ball around with 15 assists. Cerqua finished with another game-high seven digs.
 
Coach Stephen England's message to his team after the game was one of praise and gratitude for all the hard work leading up to the first match in program history.
 
"We came out playing like a program that has been playing together for more than a few months. They exceeded my expectations and I'm extremely excited to keep improving each and every chance we get."
 
The Cardinals will be in action again tomorrow inside the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Athletic Center for two more matches, the first starting at 12 p.m. versus D'Youville College and the second beginning at 2 p.m. versus Endicott College.