EMMANUEL TIES PROGRAM-RECORD WITH, 3-2, WIN OVER NEWBURY
March 29, 2011
BROOKLINE, Mass. - The Emmanuel Men's Volleyball Team matched its program-record for wins in a season with a 3-2 victory over Newbury College on Tuesday night. The non-conference match played at Hellenic College, featured the Saints winning a nail-biting fifth and deciding set, 22-20, in order to pull off the five set thriller. The 13th-ranked Saints are now 27-8 overall, while Newbury dropped to 23-12 on the season.
Senior outside hitter Curtis Abram (San Luis Obispo, Calif.) added another program-record to his list, when he smashed down an incredible 37 kills in Tuesday night's win. His kill total easily surpassed the prior Emmanuel College record for kills in a match (32), set by Michael Mazur back in 2003. Abram was set 83 times in the match and sophomore setter Nick Updike dished out 58 assists in the win.
The Nighthawks honored their four seniors on Newbury's senior night by taking game one from the nationally ranked Saints, 25-22. James Beck registered three kills while Matt Talamantes added six assists. But the Saints were not going to be denied, responding by taking sets two and three by a combination of four points. In the two sets, Abram tallied 12 kills and three total blocks (one solo and two assisted).
Looking to seal the deal in the fourth set, Abram notched a set-high 11 kills, but the Nighthawks were able to answer. While Beck registered seven kills and three block assists, Max Daley was nearly perfect in the set with an .833 hitting percentage. Freshman Dan Davision (Howell, N.J.) matched Beck with three block assists as Newbury stormed back to knot up the match at two games apiece with the 29-27 win.
Trailing by five points in the fifth and deciding set and with Emmanuel at match-point, 14-9, the Nighthawks rallied off five straight points culminating with back-to-back block assists by Daley and Beck to tie up the contest at 14-all. Over the next eight points there would be six ties and four lead changes, before Abram sealed the match with his 37th kill of the night.
In addition to his kills, Abram picked up 11 digs, 6 blocks and 3 aces in a solid all-around effort. Thomas McCaffrey (Massapequa, N.Y.) and Cam Todd (Los Angeles, Calif.) chipped in with 8 kills apiece and Updike added 7 kills and 15 digs to his assist total. GNAC Defensive Player of the Year Jake DeLuise (Wakefield, R.I.) led the visitors' defense with 17 digs. Senior Jim Sutherland (Concord, Calif.) also recorded double-figure digs with 12, while Todd picked up 5 assisted blocks in the win.
Both teams will return to the court this Friday, when they travel to Stevens Tech in Hoboken, N.J. for the North East Collegiate Volleyball Association (NECVA) Tournament. The 6th-seeded Saints will take on 11th-seeded Endicott College at 4:00pm, while the Nighthawks will meet Philadelphia Biblical at 2:00pm.
- Courtesy of Newbury College Sports Information