Box Score
Game Program

POUGHKEEPSIE, NY ( January 25, 2012) -- In a match that was a preview of future conference play, the No. 15 Vassar College men's volleyball team upset the No. 4 NYU Violets, sweeping the visitors 25-21, 26-24, 25-22. Relying on an efficient offense and timely defense, the Brewers trailed only three times in the match and were poised and energetic throughout.

NYU drops to 1-2 and after its Alumni match on Saturday, will open UVC play at home vs SUNY IT on 2/4. Vassar improves to 2-1 and will host conference rival Stevens Institute at home on Wednesday, February 1, at 7 PM in Kenyon Hall.

In the first set, Vassar went up 1-0 after NYU missed the match's opening serve, a lead that would hold for the duration of the set. Neither team was able to establish much of a rhythm in the early going, but Vassar was able to capitalize on a number of NYU errors to slowly increase its lead. After building it to five at 20-15, the Brewers let NYU close to within two with a service error of their own and two consecutive aces from Nick Capriccio. A VC time-out did the trick, though, as NYU gave it back on another error. Back-to-back kills from Charles Caldwell and Matthew Elgin forced an NYU time-out at 23-19, but while a Luke Hamlet kill broke the run and got the Violets within three, they would get no closer and kills from Caldwell and Lucas Rathjens would close out the set 25-21. Caldwell led the way for the Brewers with 7 kills and only one error on 14 attempts. During the set, Vassar held a 5-2 edge in blocks and out-hit the visitors .297 to .100.

Caldwell stayed hot to start the second set, with four winners over a five-point stretch early. The Violets continued to battle, however, and when their middle attack came to life late in the set, scoring on four straight points, they knotted the score at 20-20. But serving errors proved costly for the visitors down the stretch, especially at 24-24, when a miss gave the Brewers their first chance to serve for the set and a two sets to none lead. One chance was all it took as Elgin finished the set with a huge solo block in the middle. Caldwell once again had the hot hand for Vassar, scoring on eight of nine chances without an error for a scorching .889 hitting percentage.  NYU raised its percentage for the set to .316, with four kills each from Pat Dodd, Luke Hamlet and Capriccio, but were still outpaced by the home team hitting .429.

The third set began much like the others, with both teams struggling to make their serve and take care of the ball. Vassar used the support of a very vocal crowd to keep its energy up, especially on defense, and seemed to be in control of the set. Once again, however, NYU fought back late and tied the set at 18-18 on a big block coming out of a Vassar time-out. But the Violet serving woes continued and after a miss put the Brewers up one, a Caldwell kill out of the back row and an NYU attack error stretched the lead back to three, forcing the visitors into their last time-out with Vassar up 21-18. When play resumed, it seemed that once again errors would be the difference with five of the last points coming off a miscues. But it was the Brewer defense that sealed the match when they dug four consecutive attacks on match point before Patrick Donohue was able to put away the final winner for a 25-22 win.

Christian La Du and Joe Pyne were the defensive leaders of the match, with 13 and 11 digs respectively, and the only players in double figures. While the Violets totaled more kills than the Brewers – 42-40 with Capriccio and Dodd notching 10 each - Vassar won the overall battle at the net hitting .302 to NYU's .171 and outblocking the visitors 11-5. NYU setter Connor Mortland put up a match-high 35 assists, just edging out John Konow's 32. Big Patrick Donohue earned his name at the net, totaling six blocks on the night, but the star for the Brewers this night was Caldwell, who put down a career-best 18 kills, with only a single error, to hit a remarkable .515.