ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- For the second day in a row, Houghton men's volleyball found itself facing off with one of the top teams in the country. Despite a 3-0 loss to No. 11 Nazareth on Saturday afternoon, the young Highlander squad played hard and saw growth that has first-year Head Coach Lindsay Seddon excited about the future of the program.

Nazareth won in three sets, 25-7, 25-18, 25-15.

Houghton played particularly well in the second set, going neck and neck with the Golden Flyers throughout. Houghton trailed just 21-17 before the hosts closed the set on a 4-1 run.

Devin Burns and Elijah Sproull led the Highlanders with four kills apiece. Jerry Buno led the team with 10 assists and tied with Anthony Panboon with a team-high seven digs.

"Today's match was successful in that we held another nationally ranked team the majority of the second set and kept up in the third after a slow start in the first. The team got rid of the nerves and finished well with more aggressive swinging. They had great passing moments, and our setters kept us in the match by hustling and placing the ball where it needed to go," said Seddon. "The team is improving every step of the way and shows no sign of stopping. They give their all for each other on the court and remember who they are representing. We are learning from this weekend then moving forward, ready for PSU Behrend on Tuesday."

Houghton will host the Lions of PSU-Behrend on Tuesday, January 23 at 7 p.m. in the Nielsen Center.