MEN'S VOLLEYBALL CLINCHES HOME PLAYOFF MATCH WITH 3-1 WIN OVER MOUNT IDA

GAME #1 FINAL:          EMMANUEL 3, MOUNT IDA 1

                                    (Game Scores:  25-27, 25-16, 25-13, 25-21)

GAME #2 FINAL:          RIVIER 3, EMMANUEL 0

                                    (Game Scores:  25-14, 25-18, 25-17)

GAME #3 FINAL:          RIVIER 3, MOUNT IDA 0

                                    (Game Scores:  25-10, 28-26, 32-30)

NEWTON, Mass. --  Seniors Grant Andler (Chicago, Ill.) and Matt Heckler (Simi Valley, Calif.) each registered 17 kills as Rivier completed a perfect 2019 Great Northeast Athletic Conference men's volleyball regular season campaign by sweeping a league tri-match from Emmanuel and host Mount Ida Sunday afternoon at the Athletic Center.

The Raiders (24-6, 14-0 GNAC) began the day with a 25-14, 25-18, 25-17 sweep of Emmanuel's Saints (14-15, 8-6 GNAC), as Andler notched 15 kills and three block assists while Heckler added 13 kills, two digs and pair of set assists.  Junior Khaynen Yocca (Pittsburgh, Pa.) added six kills in the opening triumph for Rivier, which received five kills and four digs from sophomore David Smith (Clinton, Ohio) along with 44 set assists, three digs and a pair of kills from senior Garrett Bucklin (Jamestown, R.I.).

Junior Erik English (Simi Valley, Calif.) notched 10 kills in the middle match setback for Emmanuel, which received six kills from freshman Mike Kokoros (Braintree, Mass.).  Sophomore Seamus McDonagh (Long Beach, N.Y.) collected 21 set assists and three digs for the Saints, who received three kills from sophomore John Carroll (Massapequa, N.Y.).

Junior Nathan Kunkel (Pittsburgh, Pa.) and sophomore Francis Kokoros (Braintree, Mass.) posted nine kills each and combined for nine digs in Rivier's 25-10, 28-26, 32-30 nightcap victory over the host Mustangs (12-21, 0-14 GNAC), as the Raiders also received a combined 11 kills from junior John Equitani (Coventry, R.I.) and freshman Ernesto Montes (Huntington Park, Calif.).  Heckler chipped in with four kills in the third contest for the visitors, who received a combined 30 set assists from sophomore Danny Sciolaro (Wayne, N.J.) and freshman Andrew Panameno (Los Angeles, Calif.).

Junior Brett Southworth (Orange, Conn.) recorded eight kills and four digs in the nightcap setback for Mount Ida, which received seven kills and a pair of set assists from sophomore Kevin Vanderhorst (Lawrence, Mass.).  Sophomore Andre Foster (Davis, Calif.), along with freshmen Tyler Dorfman (West Hartford, Conn.) and Isaac Reed (Keene, N.H.), each had four kills and combined for six digs for the hosts, who received 23 set assists, six digs and a pair of kills from sophomore Kevin Keohane (Jefferson, N.J.).  

English registered a double-double effort of 13 kills, 11 digs and four service aces in Emmanuel's 3-1 victory over Mount Ida that opened the day's action, as the Saints dropped a 27-25 decision in the first set before taking the next three by scores of 25-16, 25-13 and 25-21.  Mike Kokoros added 10 kills and six digs for Emmanuel, which received six kills, eight digs and four service aces from junior Kevin Orsley (San Jose, Calif.) along with five kills from Carroll.  McDonagh notched 31 set assists, four kills and three digs in the triumph for the Saints, who received nine digs from sophomore Manuel Velez (San Jose, Costa Rica).

Foster posted nine kills, seven digs and a pair of service aces in the opening setback for Mount Ida, which received nine kills and two digs from Reed.  Vanderhorst added six kills and four digs in the lid-lifter for the Mustangs, who received five kills each and a combined seven digs from Dorfman and Southworth.  Keohane collectged 29 set assists and eight digs in the first match for the hosts, who received a combined 10 digs from juniors Nate Gyampo (Providence, R.I.), Ethan Souza (Acushnet, Mass.) and Tyler Shinkle (West Deptford, N.J.) as well as freshman Mason Leonard (Langdon, N.H.).

Rivier will host a GNAC semifinal match on Thursday evening, while Emmanuel will host a conference quarterfinal round clash on Tuesday evening, as complete tournament pairings and information will be released by the league office on Monday.  Mount Ida concludes its campaign with the second highest single-season victory total in program history, as after winning 28 matches in the previous five years, the Mustangs have claimed 25 triumphs over the last two years alone.

*Release courtesy of Mount Ida College Sports Information Dept.