ALBANY, N.Y. -- Houghton men's volleyball fell twice on the road in a tri-match at Russell Sage College on Saturday. Houghton lost to Regis (Mass.) College in the opener, 3-0 (25-11, 25-18, 25-19), before closing the day with a thrilling 3-2 loss to the host Sage Gators (16-25, 25-18, 25-15, 17-25, 15-9).

Against Regis, the Highlanders got seven kills, five assists and six digs from Elijah Sproull, while Devin Burns chipped in with six kills and three digs. Jerry Buno led the attack with 12 assists. Anthony Panboon shared team honors with six digs.

Houghton grabbed the first set against the Gators, 25-16, delivering 11 kills against just three errors. But the Gators rebounded with 25-18 and 25-18 wins to go up 2-1. However, the visitors would not go away easily. The Highlanders once again found their offensive firepower in the fourth setting, getting another 11 kills and hitting at a .214 clip, to gain a 25-17 win and send the match to the final set. The Gators jumped out to an early 4-1 lead and pushed the score to 12-4 to put the Highlanders on the brink of defeat. Houghton responded with three-straight points to pull within 12-7, but Sage closed out the game and match by winning three of the next five points.

Sproull produced a great all-around performance with 15 kills, 12 assists and 10 digs, while adding two blocks. Burns finished with five kills and five digs. Panboon and Gabriel Lucena contributed nine and eight digs, respectively, while Buno had a team-high 18 assists.

"Our match against Regis was a slow start for us. However, the match against Sage was the highlight of the day," said Head Coach Lindsay Seddon. "The team elevated their play to a whole new level and it was so special to witness. [Assistant Coach] Dave [Bourne] and I are so proud of their efforts and their teamwork in what was a big, epic battle against Sage."

Houghton returns home for their next two matches, taking on Hilbert on Tuesday, February 13 and Wells on Wednesday, February 14. Both matches have 7 p.m. starts.