Box Score

NEW PALTZ, NY – With two teams tied for fourth place in the NECVA Metro Division and playoff implications abounding, the Vassar men's volleyball team needed to shake off last Saturday's loss to Ramapo and re-establish itself on Wednesday night against SUNY New Paltz. Aided by 18 kills from junior hitter Phil Tully (Huntington Station, NY/Walt Whitman) and 12 kills from sophomore hitter Evan Fredericksen (Menlo Park, CA/Menlo Atherton), the No. 8 nationally ranked Brewers defeated No. 15 SUNY New Paltz 3-1 (28-30, 30-22, 30-22, 30-22), sweeping the season series from the Hawks and moving into sole possession of fourth place in Metro standings.

The Brewers, now 15-4, 5-2, will host third place New Jersey City University (12-8, 3-0) on Saturday afternoon, March 7 at 2:00 p.m. New Paltz falls to 13-9, 4-3 and will travel to Philadelphia Biblical University for a 7:00 p.m. match on Friday.

Tully and Fredericksen combined for 30 kills with only three errors on 58 attempts. Tully hit .485 for the match and Fredericksen .440.

Both matches with New Paltz went four sets this season, and the Hawks ensured they would prove formidable by winning the first set 30-28. In set one, the Hawks jumped out quickly scoring five of the first six points, but Vassar stormed back tying the contest at 7-7. The teams would trade points until the Brewers rolled off three points in a row to take a 13-11 advantage. The Hawks would tie it at 14-14 and the teams would continue to trade points. With the game tied at 24-24, the Hawks scored two straight points to give them some breathing room and was able to hold off the Brewers for the 30-28 win.

In the first set, Tully has five kills and five digs and senior hitter Steve Micucci (Millis, MA/Millis) added four kills for the Brewers in set one. Senior setter/hitter John Kessenich (Chicago, IL/Richard Montgomery) handed out ten assists for Vassar and had 42 in the match. Freshman middle hitter Kevin Stross (Port Washington, NY/Schreiber) led the Hawks with ten kills and had a .643 hitting percentage. Senior middle hitter Jake Moore (Cortlandt Manor, NY/Hendrick Hudson) added eight kills and four digs. Sophomore setter Andrew Cassius (Brooklyn, NY/Midwood) dished out 18 assists in the set one victory.

In set two, the game was tied at 3-3 and the Brewers scored seven of the next nine points to take a 10-5 advantage. The Hawks were able to pull within three at 13-10, but the Brewers quickly shut down the Hawks and took control of the set. Tully led the Brewers with four kills and two aces and Kessenich handed out ten assists and had three aces. Junior middle Daniel Liberto (Rush, NY/Rush-Henrietta) led the Hawks with four kills and senior outside hitter Ryan Huberty (Liverpool, NY/Liverpool) had three kills. Cassius handed out six assists and freshman setter Frank Ciccone (Long Beach, NY/Long Beach) handed four assists.

In set three, the game was tied at 4-4 before Vassar took control of the set scoring six of the next nine points to take a 10-7 lead. Vassar held a 14-9 advantage and rattled off six of the next eights points to take a 20-11 advantage and the Hawks were unable to recover. Tully led the Brewers with four kills and two blocks and Kessenich handed out 12 assists and had two blocks. Liberto and Moore each tallied three kills apiece for the Hawks and Cassius handed out 11 assists.

In set four, the score was tied 6-6 before Vassar scored six straight points to take a 12-6 lead. The Hawks responded by scoring nine of the next fourteen points to pull with two at 17-15. Vassar quickly scored ten of the next fifteen points to seal the deal and take set four. Vassar's Tully led with five kills and three digs and Evan Fredericksen and Micucci each had three kills apiece. Kessenich handed out ten assists and finished the game with 42 assists, five blocks and six aces.

Huberty led the Hawks with six kills and had a .625 hitting percentage and Ciccone handed out eight assists. Stross and Liberto each tallied three kills in set four.

For New Patlz, Stross led the Hawks with 17 kills and Moore added 13 kills and 11 digs. Cassius handed out 38 kills and Ciccone handed 13 assists. Liberto finished with ten kills and Huberty finished with 12 kills and six digs.