Box Score

NEW YORK, NY (March 23, 2010) – In their first match since March 6, the No. 5 nationally ranked Vassar College men's volleyball team saw its nine-match winning streak come to a halt on Tuesday night, losing to rival New York University 3-1 (24-30, 24-30, 30-27, 16-30) at the Jerome S. Coles Center. 

The Brewers, who last played on March 6, a 3-0 victory over New Jersey City University, are now 15-7 on the season and will be back in action on Wednesday evening at Kenyon Hall against Yeshiva University at 7:00 p.m. Vassar will honor its three seniors -- Andres Posada, Talis Swisher and Phil Tully. NYU snaps a three-match losing streak and improves to 4-13 on the season and will travel to Harvard on March 27 for a 7:00 p.m. match 

Showing the rust of a long layoff, the Brewers led only once in the first set (1-0), never in the second set, but played an inspired third set that forced the Violets to earn the victory in four sets. 

The Violets, who won both matches against the Brewers this season, controlled the match statistically and capitalized on a 12-3 advantage in service aces and a 38-27 margin in digs. 

Down 2-0 in sets, the Brewers regrouped in the third and jumped out to a 13-8 lead, Vassar's largest of the match, following a kill by sophomore Lucas Rathjens. NYU was able to tie the set at 18-18 and 20-20, both times coming off kills from Dodd, but strong play by Fredericksen, who had nine of his 20 kills in the third set, kept NYU from closing out the match in three sets. 

NYU broke out to a 21-12 lead in the opening set en route to a 30-24 victory. The second set had a similar tone as NYU led 20-14 before the Brewers mounted a comeback and closed within 24-22 following a kill by Fredericksen. With the aid of three Vassar attack errors and kills from three different frontline players, NYU held on for a 30-24 victory and a 2-0 lead in sets. 

In the fourth set, NYU broke free from a tight 11-8 lead and built a 20-11 lead before the Brewers halted the skid after a Tully kill. NYU built back its momentum, however, and won five of the next seven points, ultimately capturing the final set 30-16.

Vassar was led by junior hitter Evan Fredericksen with 20 kills, his second best outing this season after earning 21 kills against SUNY New Paltz on January 27. Tully added 16 kills, marking the 71st time in his career he has recorded double figures in that category. Freshman setter John Konow had 43 set assists in the match and classmate Christian La Du led the Brewers with eight digs. 

NYU had three players top double figures in kills, led by senior outside hitter Mike Ferragonio with 17 kills and a .609 attack percentage, committing just three errors on 23 attempts. Both sophomore outside hitter Pat Dodd and junior middle block Fran Hodgson had 16 kills for the Violets. Junior setter Ori Oren had 56 set assists.