POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. – The No. 2 Vassar men's volleyball team went 2-0 in Saturday's tri-match to move to 9-1 overall this season. In the opening match, Vassar defeated Ramapo 3-0 and then downed No. 4 Stevens 3-1 in the second game.
Sophomore Vaughn Ramsey (Denver, CO) paced the team with a career-high 18 kills to lead the Brewers to a 3-0 (25-17, 25-18, 25-22) sweep over Ramapo. The Brewers held the visiting Roadrunners to a .013 hitting percentage and recorded a 41-18 kill advantage.
Ramsey scored the first point in the opening set, and then Gavin van Beveren (Alpharetta, GA) and Ramsey blocked an attack by Andrew Finnegan to make it 2-0. Ramapo cut the Vassar lead to 3-2, but Vassar went on a 5-1 run emphasized by some Roadrunner errors to go up 8-3. Ramapo's three unanswered points cut the lead to two before two straight kills from Colin Jones (San Diego, CA) made it 10-6.
Senior Jake Kaplan (Leesburg, VA) punched in two consecutive kills, and then a block by van Beveren and Jacob Kim put the Brewers up 13-7. Ramapo cut into the deficit until a 5-0 Brewers' span made it 20-12. Kaplan gave the Brewers their 24th point, and then a Roadrunners' error gave Vassar set point.
Vassar handled business again in the second set, going up 6-1 when Joe Hendrickson (Feeding Hills, MA) sent in a service ace. Ramapo used some Vassar errors to work its way back in, and Andrew Finnegan scored on an ace to make it 8-6. Ten total errors on both sides until Ramsey hit a kill to put Vassar ahead 13-11. Ramapo's Jason van der Wilt responded with a kill to make it a one-point game. A 5-0 Vassar span finished off with kills from Andrew Guaragno and Ramsey made it 18-12. The Brewers held in, and Ramsey sent in the final kill for the set.
The third set was the closest, with Ramapo scoring three straight to tie 19-19. Points went back and forth, and two more ties followed. Andrew Kim (Rancho Santa Margarita, CA) scored a kill and an ace to make it 23-21. Ramsey made another kill, and a Roadrunners' error gave Vassar victory.
Ramsey hit .500 and had four blocks with five digs. Kaplan added six kills, one ace, and three digs. Jacob Kim had two aces to go along with 30 assists, and Jorge Adames Reyes (Vega Baja, Puerto Rico) tallied nine digs.
For the Roadrunners, Andrew Finnegan, Jason van der Wilt, and Conor Charlow posted five kills each. Charlow added two digs and four blocks while van der Wilt led the way with nine digs. Josh Titus posted 16 assists and two blocks.
In the last match, Vassar took an exciting 3-1 series against Stevens. After handling the Ducks 25-16 in the first set, Stevens took the second 29-27. Two early service aces from Andrew Kim and then van Beveren put Vassar up 4-1. Vassar held its lead and pushed it to 17-12 after Jones banged in several kills. Following a kill from Adam Gulick (Buffalo, NY), the Brewers looked comfortable at 22-16, but a 5-0 Stevens' run made it a one-point set. Gulick scored to break the streak, but the Ducks' Louden Moran and Jack Fyda sent in kills to tie 23-23. Three more ties followed until, at 27-27, the Ducks scored the following two points.
It was another close third set, and the Brewers pulled ahead 14-11 after Payne Lounsbery (Long Beach, CA) knocked in a kill. The Ducks then rattled off the following seven points to take a four-point advantage. Vassar stayed composed and fought back with a 4-0 run capped off with a Jones' ace to tie at 19-19. Vassar would take a 24-23 lead following a Ducks' error, and van Beveren gave Vassar set point on an ace.
Vassar fell behind early in the fourth until Lounsbery hit two aces in a roll to make it 7-7. It was another back-and-forth affair until a block by Andrew Kim and van Beveren put the Brewers ahead 18-15. Stevens was able to cut the deficit to 23-20. A frantic rally followed, and Matt Usui (Rolling Hill Estates, CA) made a diving save to grab the dig. The ball popped into Andrew Kim's swing and was sent in for the kill. The final possession was quick, with Lounsbery gaining set point on an ace.
Kim led the Brewers with 14 kills on 28 attacks (.357) and added nine digs, two aces, and two blocks, while Jones hit .563 percent for 11 kills and two aces. Lounsbery recorded a career-best day with ten kills, three aces, eight digs, and two blocks. Jacob Kim dished out a match-high 38 assists along with two aces and eight digs. Usui tacked on nine digs.
Koby Sherman topped Stevens with 12 kills, while Jack Fyda added 10. Moran recorded a match-best 14 digs and also made 31 assists.
Vassar is home next when they host NYU in UVC play on Fri. Feb. 25 at 7 p.m.
