MEN'S VOLLEYBALL TEAM SWEEPS MUSTANGS
March 18, 2008
Newton Centre, MA - The Emmanuel College Men's Volleyball Team cruised to a 3-0 win over host Mount Ida College in Tuesday night's North East Collegiate Volleyball Association (NECVA) match-up. The Saints eased past the Mustangs by scores of 30-12, 30-11, and 30-22. With this win, Emmanuel became even at .500 (12-12) overall and improved to 6-2 in NECVA play. Mount Ida dropped to 4-19 on the season and 2-8 in the conference.
The Saints went on a 9-0 run to end game one and take a 1-0 advantage. Emmanuel jumped out to an early lead in game two, taking a 15-6 advantage. A Mount Ida service ace and two Emmanuel errors gave the Mustangs three more points, with the score set at 18-11. The Saints then went on a 12-0 run to close out game two with a 30-11 win.
The Mustangs led early in game three, taking a 6-3 advantage, but the Saints came powering back to an 11-9 lead and overtaking the momentum. The teams exchanged points with Emmanuel maintaining a 20-15 lead courtesy of a 7-0 run late in game three. The Saints hung on for the 30-22 win in game three and completed the three-game sweep, picking up their 12th victory of the season.
Emmanuel was paced by the strong play of senior opposite Brendan Ellis (Chelmsford, MA). Ellis hammered down 15 kills, hitting .481 for the match. Freshman middle Keoni Rabaino (Tucson, AZ) added 7 kills and 2 blocks, while rookie Stephen Keeney (Snellville, GA) and sophomore Michael Townsend (Beaverdam, VA) chipped in with 6 kills apiece. Senior middle hitter Sophanna Lout (Allston, MA) was near perfect on the night, hitting .833 with 5 kills in 6 attack attempts. Sophomore setter Taylor Lowe (Malibu, CA) dished out a match-high 41 assists in the win.
The 12-12 Saints have three remaining home matches this season. Emmanuel will kick off the home stint this Thursday night (3/20), hosting Elms College in a NECVA match starting at 7pm.