SAINTS TOP ENDICOTT, 3-0, ON SENIOR DAY
March 19, 2011
BOSTON, Mass. - The 12th-ranked Emmanuel Saints swept Endicott College in the final match of a non-conference tri-match played in the Jean Yawkey Center on Saturday afternoon. The hosts won, 25-17, 25-22, 25-23, en route to their 25th victory of the season. Emmanuel is now 25-7 on the season, while Endicott dropped to 20-11 overall. The Saints' nine seniors, including Curtis Abram, Keoni Rabaino, Jake DeLuise, Jim Sutherland, Mike DelSignore, Sean O'Connor, Cam Todd, Tyson Rietz and Matt Salvi, on the Emmanuel squad were honored prior to the start of the match.
The Saints rebounded from a tough 3-2 loss to Baruch College earlier in the day, by storming out to a 16-8 lead in the opening set versus the Gulls, forcing a quick Endicott timeout. Senior outside hitter Curtis Abram (San Luis Obispo, Calif.) slammed one down from the backrow to give Emmanuel a 19-11 lead. Thomas McCaffrey (Massapequa, N.Y.) ended set one with a big hit from the middle to set the score at 25-17.
Endicott's freshman middle Travis Netherton (Waukegan, Ill.) helped the Gulls kick off set two with a kill to go up 6-4 early. After chipping away at the Endicott lead, Nick Updike put one down to give the Saints their first lead at 13-12. The Saints went on to hold the advantage throughout the second game and Updike and Cam Todd (Los Angeles, Calif.) combined for a huge block to give Emmanuel a 25-22 win in game two.
The Saints charged out to a 7-2 lead in set three after an ace by senior setter Sean O'Connor (Hampstead, N.H.). Endicott then went on a 5-2 run to cut their deficit to 9-7. A right side kill by Keoni Rabaino (Tucson, Ariz.) gave Emmanuel a 12-9 lead. A big Gulls swing by Jeremy Siden (Natick, Mass.) set the score at 19-17, Saints. Abram pushed it to 21-17 on a kill from the left side. Abram and McCaffrey then combined for a block to give the Saints another point. Kills by Abram and McCaffrey then set up match point at 24-21. An Endicott serving error ended the se and the match at 25-23.
Emmanuel was led by Abram's 14 kills in 28 swings. Updike added 9 kills and 19 assists, while Rabaino and Todd notched 7 kills apiece with no errors. McCaffrey finished with 7 blocks and 7 kills. O'Connor picked up 4 blocks to go along with his 20 assists and 9 digs, while Jake DeLuise (Wakefield, R.I.) and Jim Sutherland (Concord, Calif.) combined for 14 digs defensively for the Saints.
Endicott's offense was paced by 9 kills from Zeke Kubisch (Bethlehem, Pa.). Netherton added 8 kills and Andrew Slocum (Burnt Hills, N.Y.) and Jeremey Schlosser (Emmaus, Pa.) recorded 7 and 5 digs, respectively.
The 25-7 Saints will play again at home on Thursday night (3/24), when they host the Nighthawks of Newbury College in a 7pm start.