Men's Volleyball Splits After 16-Day Layoff; Topping Sage 3-0

ALBANY, N.Y. - Following a 16-day layoff from NCAA competition, the Emmanuel College men's volleyball team split Saturday afternoon’s non-conference action vs SUNY Poly and Sage College. The Saints dropped a 3-1 decision to the host Wildcats in the opener before salvaging the split with a convincing 3-0 sweep over the Gators to wrap up the day in Albany, N.Y.

Men's Volleyball Splits After 16-Day Layoff; Topping Sage 3-0
Video Box Score Box Score

Team Stats

March 18, 2023

THE BASICS 

Scores: 
Match 1: SUNY Poly, 3 – Emmanuel, 1 (25-23, 18-25, 25-21, 25-15)
Match 2: Emmanuel, 3 – Sage, 0 (25-12, 25-18, 25-17)

Records: 
Emmanuel College Saints (10-10, 3-3 GNAC)
SUNY Poly Wildcats (7-10, 2-1 NECC)
Sage College Gators (4-21)

Location: Albany, N.Y. – Kahl Campus Center

Date: Saturday, March 18, 2023

THE LEAD – Following a 16-day layoff from NCAA competition, the Emmanuel College men's volleyball team split Saturday afternoon's non-conference action vs SUNY Poly and Sage College. The Saints dropped a 3-1 decision to the host Wildcats in the opener before salvaging the split with a convincing 3-0 sweep over the Gators to wrap up the day in Albany, N.Y.

HOW IT HAPPENED (Match 1 vs. SUNY Poly)

  • Emmanuel led much of the opening set, opening up a five point lead midway through the action following a kill by sophomore middle Louis Da Silva (Marseille, France) made it 13-8, EC. The Wildcats chipped away, eventually tying the score at 21-21 on a kill from sophomore outside hitter Jason Aubrey (Clinton Park, N.Y.). SUNY Poly closed the set on a furious 7-2 rally to come-from-behind and steal set one, 25-23.
  • The Saints bounced back with a 25-18 win in set two to even the match at 1-1 thanks to a .429 (7-1-14) team hitting percentage in the frame.
  • EC opened the third with back-to-back points for a brief lead before SUNY rattled off six consecutive points, shifting the momentum of the match. Emmanuel kept the score within striking distance and was able to regain a lead at 11-10 after a Wildcat hitting error but the lead was short-lived as the hosts scored the next four points to take the lead for good at 14-11. EC was able to pull within a point at 19-18 but back-to-back kills from senior outside hitter Kohei Clark (West Hempstead, N.Y.) gave Poly a little breathing room in crunch time in the 25-21 win.
  • Deflated from the setback, EC folded in the fourth as the Wildcats cruised to a 25-15 win, hold Emmanuel to a .000 (6-6-27) hitting clip to take the match, 3-1.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS (Match 1 vs. SUNY Poly)

  • Aubrey and Clark combined for 28 kills with 15 and 13, respectively to power SUNY.
  • Poly senior setter Nathan Farnham (Penfield, N.Y.) dished out a match-high 38 assists.
  • SUNY owned a 10-6 advantage on aces in the match and also dominated net play with 12 blocks compared to only four for the Saints.
  • EC sophomore Jyles Amirault (Andover, Mass.) and senior Josh McDonald (Smithtown, N.Y.) paced the Saints with seven kills each to share the team high.
  • Senior setter Roman Fabrizio (Salem, N.H.) had a solid all-around showing with 26 assists, six digs and two aces.
  • Emmanuel first year Nick Sciabica (Floral Park, N.Y.) recorded a match-best 10 digs in the setback.

HOW IT HAPPENED (Match 2 vs. SAGE)

  • The Saints took out some lingering aggression from the opener in set 1, putting a 25-12 hurt down on the Gators to open the match.