ENDICOTT HANGS ON FOR 3-1 WIN OVER MEN’S VOLLEYBALL

BOSTON, Mass. – The Emmanuel College men's volleyball team dropped a non-conference match to Endicott College, 3-1 (27-25, 25-16, 21-25, 25-23), Saturday afternoon at the Jean Yawkey Center Gymnasium. The Gulls improve to 2-2 with the win while the loss drops the Saints to 1-2 overall.

The Gulls took control of the action early in set one as a kill from senior setter Carter Roche (Clifton Park, N.Y.) gave them a 6-3 lead, forcing the Saints to call a timeout. Down five, a double block from the EC front line combo of junior setter Sean Baxley (Saint James, N.Y.) and junior middle Wyatt Cooper (Ridgefield, Conn.) sparked a rally to help Emmanuel pull to within a point at 12-11. An ace from junior outside hitter Ashanti Jackson (Sacramento, Calif.) evened the score at 15-all. With the score knotted at 19-19, the Gulls went on a 4-0 spurt fueled from a monster block at the net from senior middle Travis Netherton (Waukegan, Ill.) to take a 23-19 lead. Emmanuel was able to reel off three straight points to pull within one at 23-22 and Endicott burned a timeout to stop momentum shift. After trading points, sophomore middle Garrett McGarry (Chicago, Ill.) slammed home kills to tie the score at 24 and 25 but back-to-back points from the Gulls, including a kill from senior middle Mike Coniglione (Glenville, N.Y.), ended the set at 26-24.

An ace from sophomore John Osborne (Freehold, N.J.) gave Endicott and early 2-0 lead in set two. Back-to-back Emmanuel errors made it 11-7 in favor of the visitors and later in the set, a kill from senior outside hitter Brennan Lowe (Malibu, Calif.) extended the lead to 19-13. Endicott would hold on for the 25-16 win as the Saints hit a negative -.032 in the frame.

The strong net play for the Gulls continued in set three as a double block from sophomore middle Alex Wasik (Milford, Mass.) and Coniglione gave them a 5-2 cushion. Emmanuel pulled to within a point at 12-11 following an Endicott hitting error but they gave it right back with an error of their own on the next point. The Saints evened the score at 14-14 following a block assist from Cooper and sophomore Drew Jordan (Braintree, Mass.) and took the lead at 16-15 with another block assist from Cooper and junior Ryan Kessler (Santa Clarita, Calif.). Two Gulls errors made it 20-17 in favor of the hosts and points later, Emmanuel won the set at 25-21 on an Endicott service error.

A Jackson ace lifted Emmanuel to a 5-2 lead in set four before Jordan made it 6-2 with a solo block. Endicott fought back, tying the score at 11-11 on an ace from Roche and took a three point (16-13) lead after a hitting errors from the Saints. Jackson kept the game close with a kill followed by a block assist with McGarry to make it 22-21. McGarry tied the set at 22-22 after a great rally but the Gulls fired right back with a block by Netherton and Wasik to go back on top and would end the match with another block assist for a 25-23 win.

Netherton finished with a match-high 14 kills while Coniglione added 12. Roche recorded 42 assists to go along with 10 digs in the win.

For the Saints, Jackson led the way with 13 kills while Baxley dished out 34 helpers. Sophomore libero Ernie Gurule (Los Angeles, Calif.) ended the action with 10 digs.

Emmanuel returns to action later this afternoon when they host Elms College at 3:30 PM.