EAST STROUDSBURG - The East Stroudsburg University men's volleyball team defeated Sacred Heart, 3-0, to win the Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association Hay Division title for the first time since 1999 under first-year head coach, Dustin Wood, Friday at Koehler Fieldhouse.

The Warriors improved to 9-2 in conference play and 15-7 overall with one conference game remaining by winning by scores of 30-20, 30-25 and 30-26.

With the win, ESU will move up into the Tait division next season and compete against nationally ranked teams that include Penn State and George Mason. ESU will play at New Haven next Saturday and then on the road in the playoffs April 18 or 19 against the No. 6 seed from the Tait division.

The Warriors jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the first game. The Pioneers came within two points, 6-4, but ESU didn't allow them to get any closer as Keith Eckenrode had two kills and Michael Oswald had one. Jon Daley aced his serve to make it an eight point lead, 25-17. Sacred Heart came within four points before ESU took a 10-point lead and kept it to win the game 30-20.

In the second game, Sacred Heart got the first point and the game stayed within three points throughout most of the game. Late in the game, Eckenrode had a kill to put the Warriors ahead by four, 24-20. ESU kept the lead with a kill from Jeff Quinn and Daley to make it 29-25. Quinn had another kill to win the game 30-25.

The Pioneers took the lead in the third game and stayed ahead until Daley had three kills, and Eckenrode had one to put the Warriors within one point, 10-9. Eckenrode and Quinn had three blocks to keep ESU in the game. Tom German had a kill to help put the Warriors in the lead where they stayed as Daley had the final kill to win the game 30-26.

Eckenrode had a team high 12 kills and Daley added 11 kills. R.J. Roth had 9 digs.