HARVARD POWERS PAST EMMANUEL IN FIRST-EVER MEETING
March 30, 2010
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - The 12th-ranked Emmanuel Men's Volleyball Team fell to Harvard University, 3-0, in a non-conference match played at Malkin Athletic Center on Tuesday night. The 4-12 Crimson used a powerful offense and stingy defense to defeat the 26-10 Saints in the first-ever meeting between these two programs.
Senior Erik Kuld and sophomore Matt Jones both posted double digit kills with 20 and 14, respectively. Six Crimson players tallied multiple digs, with freshman Rob Lothman leading the team with eight. He also handed out 39 assists on the night.
In the first set, the teams traded points before a Crimson attack error gave Emmanuel a 15-14 lead. Harvard then went on a 10-0 run, that featured seven errors by the Saints, to put the set out of reach. The Crimson claimed a 30-23 victory in set one.
Harvard opened the second set with three straight points and never looked back. The Crimson posted 18 kills, while holding the Saints to just nine. Harvard came away with a 30-27 win in the second frame.
In the third set, the Crimson used multiple offensive spurts to build an early 13-6 lead. A kill by senior Soren Rosier sparked another offensive run for the home team, forcing Emmanuel to call a timeout trailing 22-11. The Saints rallied at a comeback, outscoring the Crimson 12-7, but were unable to stop the Crimson and eventually fell, 30-23.
Harvard posted a team hitting percentage of .326 with 48 kills on 92 total attacks and just 18 errors.
For Emmanuel, Keoni Rabaino led the way, hitting .500 with 8 kills in 14 swings with just 1 error. He also assisted on 4 blocks in the effort. Junior Tyson Rietz notched 8 kills as well, to go along with his 3 digs and 2 aces. Senior Michael Townsend and junior Curtis Abram combined for 11 kills, while Taylor Lowe dished out 15 assists for the Saints.
Harvard's next three matches are on the road as the team faces Newbury (April 1), Rutgers-Newark (April 9) and NYU (April 10) before returning home for two final matches before the EIVA playoffs.
The Saints have just one final regular season match remaining. Emmanuel will host Newbury College on Tuesday (April 6) at 7pm in the Jean Yawkey Center. Seniors Michael Townsend and Taylor Lowe will be recognized prior to the start of this match. The Saints will then compete in the North East Collegiate Volleyball Association Tournament beginning on April 9th in Hyannis, Mass.