POUGHKEEPSIE, NY (April 8, 2017) – The No. 2 ranked Vassar College men's volleyball team hosted Hunter College and Alvernia in Kenyon Hall where the Brewers took home two wins, extended their winning streak and broke the all-time record for consecutive wins with 14. The Brewers took time today to celebrate and thank their seniors Trey Cimorelli, Christian Lizana and Quinn Rutledge for all the hard work they have dedicated to the volleyball program.
 
Vassar 3, Hunter College 0
The Brewers defeated the No. 10 ranked Hunter Hawks in straight sets this afternoon with a final score of 25-17, 25-21 and 25-22. The Brewers obtained a lead early in the match and proceeded to control the rest of the match.
 
In the opening set, it was all Brewer ball. VC sided out at 76 percent while keeping Hunter at a 51 percent side-out ratio with aggressive, consistent serving. The Brewers forced the Hawks into a .057 hitting percentage by playing exceptional defense and winning long scramble plays. In the second set, the Brewers took an early lead and remained defensively strong, racking up 27 digs and 4 blocks.  
 
The final set was a closer battle as the Hawks became more aggressive offensively. However, our Vassar Brewers countered with a .394 hitting percentage, earning 17 points off terminations alone. Brewers obtained a 6-point lead that the Hawks fought hard to try to come back from. In the final points, the Hawks closed in on the Brewer lead. However, Vassar's continued offensive pressure proved to be too much for the Hawks as a Knigge termination solidified the regular season victory for the Brewers.
 
Senior co-captain Christian Lizana contributed immensely in every aspect of the game with 11 digs, 9 kills, 4 total blocks and 1 ace. Junior Matthew Knigge led the team offensively, finishing with 12 kills and 3 blocks. Quinn Rutledge racked up 11 kills, 7 digs and 4 blocks of his own. Junior Zechariah Lee displayed his versatility once again with 38 assists, 4 kills, 2 aces and 10 digs. Senior co-captain Trey Cimorelli continued to lead the team defensively with 13 digs while freshman Kevin Ros earned a career-high of 10 digs.
 
Vassar 3, Alvernia 0
VC knocked off Alvernia in three straight-sets with a final score of 25-19, 25-18 and 25-14. The Brewers were dominant throughout the entire match, forcing their opponent into a negative hitting percentage. The Vassar Brewers began the game offensively dominant in the first set with a .476 hitting percentage. This offensive pressure was carried into the second set where the Brewers built even more momentum, ending the second set with 16 terminations. In the final set, the Crusaders started off defensively disciplined but the Brewers proved to be unstoppable, as Zach Bygall ended the match with a kill dished out by Daniel Halberg.
 
Junior Matthew Knigge was absolutely dominant up at net, racking up 13 of the Brewers' 39 kills and attacking at a .813 percentage. Lizana (6), Rutledge (7) and Auerbach (5) all contributed kills of their own. Junior Zechariah Lee led the team in assists with 28 in addition to his 4 kills and 5 digs.
 
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The Brewers will host the United Volleyball Conference Tournament next weekend from April 13-15 in Kenyon Hall as they compete for an NCAA bid.