#8 BEARCATS NIP #12 SAINTS, 3-2
March 19, 2011
BOSTON, Mass. - The 12th-ranked Emmanuel Men's Volleyball Team dropped a 3-2 decision to 8th-ranked Baruch College on Saturday afternoon in the opening match of a non-conference tri-match played in the Jean Yawkey Center. The Bearcats took the first set, 25-21, and the Saints rebounded to take set two, 25-22. Baruch gained a 2-1 match lead, winning 25-18 in set three. Set four went to the Saints, 25-22, and the Bearcats won set five and the match, 15-11. Emmanuel is now 24-7 and Baruch improve to 27-12 on the season.
A kill by sophomore setter Nick Updike set the score at 16-15 in favor of Baruch to open the match. A kill by Baruch's Vincent Cruz (Torrington, Conn.) pushed the Bearcat lead to 20-18 and forced an EC timeout. The spread stood at 23-19 after an Emmanuel hitting error. Baruch's senior outside hitter Pablo Oliveira (Uberlandia, Brazil) recorded a kill to give the Bearcats set point at 24-20 and forced an Emmanuel timeout. Emmanuel managed one more point after the timeout on a kill by Curtis Abram (San Luis Obispo, Calif.), but Baruch's Ray Satagaj (Rocky Hill, Conn.) ended the set on a kill at 25-21.
A kill by Baruch setter Jesus Echevarria (San Juan, Puerto Rico) broke a 9-all tie. The Saints then put together a run to take a 12-11 lead on an Abram kill. Seniors Matt Salvi (Trumbull, Conn.) and Cam Todd (Los Angeles, Calif.) combined for a block to push the Saints' lead to 17-14. At 18-14, the Bearcats signaled for a timeout. Out of the break, Abram smashed down another kill to go up five at 19-15. A left side swing by Updike set the score at 22-18, Saints. Sophomore Alex McKeen (Stoughton, Mass.) gave Emmanuel set two with consecutive kills from either side to take a 25-22 win.
Baruch charged out to a quick 10-5 lead in the third. After a 3-0 Saints' run, Satagaj put one down to give the Bearcats an 11-8 lead. Satagaj pushed the spread to 15-11 with a kill from the right side. Several Emmanuel offensive errors put Baruch up, 20-12. A kill, followed by back-to-back aces by Abram, cut the Saints' deficit to 20-15. Baruch hung on and managed to take set three, 25-18.
The Bearcats held a solid edge throughout the fourth set, taking a 19-16 lead on a kill by Cruz. The Saints chipped away and managed to tie it up at 19-all after a Baruch hitting error. Coming out of a Bearcat timeout, another offensive error gave the Saints their first lead of the set at 20-19. An Abram kill pushed it to a two-point lead (21-19). Two quick Baruch points, including a kill by Echevarria, forged another tie at 21-all. The Saints then rattled off two points of their own to go up, 23-21. A middle smash by Thomas McCaffrey (Massapequa, N.Y.) gave Emmanuel set point at 24-22. The Baruch setter was called for a carry and set four went to Emmanuel, 25-22, sending the contest into a deciding fifth game.
The visitors held a 6-5 advantage in the fifth, after another kill by Oliveira. An Emmanuel middle hit by Todd knotted the set at 7-all. Consecutive backrow swings by Oliveira put Baruch up 10-7. A Satagaj kill forced a Saints timeout with the score at 13-9. A Baruch kill off the hands of Emmanuel blockers ended the match at 15-11.
Oliveira led the Bearcat attack with an incredible 40 kills, while hitting .583 for the match. Satagaj added 8 kills and 7 digs. Echevarria dished out 56 assists and Takeshi Kawahigashi (Tokyo, Japan) gathered a team-high 9 digs in the win.
Emmanuel was led by Abram's 27 kills and 17 digs. Updike finished with a near triple-double of 25 assists, 10 digs and 9 kills. Todd added 9 kills and 3 blocks. Defensively, Salvi finished with 5 blocks and Jake DeLuise (Wakefield, R.I.) picked up10 digs in the effort.
Baruch will take on Endicott College at 2pm and Emmanuel will then face the Gulls in the afternoon's 4pm match.