SAINTS SWEEP VASSAR IN NON-CONFERENCE TRI-MATCH
Jan. 29, 2011
BOSTON, Mass. - The 11th-ranked Emmanuel Men's Volleyball Team carried the momentum from a three-set sweep of New Haven into the final match of Saturday's tri-match played in Emmanuel's Jean Yawkey Center, as the Saints defeated Vassar College 3-1. With the win, Emmanuel improved to 7-2 on the season, while Vassar dropped to 3-3 overall.
Emmanuel took an early 6-5 lead on a kill by Thomas McCaffrey (Massapequa, N.Y.). The Saints earned a five-point edge after monster kills by Keoni Rabaino (Tucson, Ariz.) and Curtis Abram, 14-9. The Saints held a solid five-point lead throughout and managed to push it to 22-16 on another Abram kill, as Vassar called for a timeout. Kills by Rabaino and Cam Todd (Los Angeles, Calif.) set up set point. Rabaino finished it off with his sixth kill of the set and gave the Saints a 25-20 win.
Set two featured the Saints charging out to a 7-3 lead after a huge solo block by McCaffrey. The Brewers then went on a 4-0 run and tied things up at 7-all. Emmanuel regained the lead at 11-10 after consecutive kills by Abram. Vassar's sophomore setter John Konow (Chicago, Ill.) got the Brewers back on top with a kill to go up, 16-13. The Saints powered back and cut the deficit to one point at 20-19, before Vassar called for a timeout.
Abram served up back-to-back aces out of the timeout and the Saints took a 21-20 lead. A huge block and a kill by Matthew Elgin (Farmington, N.Y.) gave the Brewers a 23-22 edge. An Emmanuel kill by Tyson Rietz (Granite Bay, Calif.) gave the Saints set point at 24-23. Vassar evened it up and went ahead 25-24 on another Elgin kill. The two clubs exchanged several set points before Jake DeLuise (Wakefield, R.I.) set up Abram for a 29-27 Emmanuel win, as the Saints took a 2-0 match lead.
Emmanuel jumped out to an 11-8 set three lead after a kill by Rietz. An Abram kill put the Saints up 14-11. A Vassar kill by Joe Pyne (Los Angeles, Calif.), followed by an Emmanuel hitting error tied the set at 15-all. A huge kill by Emmanuel setter Nick Updike knotted things up again at 19-all.
The Brewers took a one-point lead at 21-20 and the Saints tied the set again on a huge swing by McCaffrey. After another tie at 23-all, Vassar earned set point at 24-23 and forced set four on an Emmanuel hitting error, 25-23.
The Saints battled to a 17-14 lead in game four after Updike and McCaffrey combined for a block. Emmanuel built a seven-point cushion to go up 23-16 and Todd forged match-point on a kill as Emmanuel led 24-17. Rabaino ended the contest on a swing from the right side and the Saints took set four 25-18 and a 3-1 match win.
Emmanuel 3, New Haven 0 (25-15, 25-15, 25-13)
Vassar 3, New Haven 0 (25-15, 25-13, 25-17)
Emmanuel 3, Vassar 1 (25-20, 29-27, 23-25, 25-18)