POUGHKEEPSIE, NY - The #10 Vassar College Men's Volleyball team battled to two UVC victories on Saturday at Kenyon Hall as the Brewers took down Elmira 26-28, 25-20, 25-23, 25-17 before earning a 21-25, 30-28, 25-19, 25-23 triumph over #16 Hobart in the nightcap. The Brewers have won six straight matches and improve their record to 15-3 overall and 4-0 in conference action.
VASSAR 3 ELMIRA 1
FIRST SET
- Vassar took a 6-4 lead in the first set following kills from first year Armaan Desai and senior Andrew Guaragno along with an ace from junior Nick Villamil.
- The Soaring Eagles battled back to take a 10-7 lead after a four-point run, led by kills from Edwin Sosa and Jake Suffa and an ace from Jordan Peiser.
- Vassar regained the lead at 12-11 on a kill from junior Gavin Akoto before expanding the lead to 18-14 after a block from Akoto and Guaragno and another Akoto winner.
- The Brewers lead sat at 22-18 after a winner from junior Tobias Clark before four straight points from Elmira tied the set at 22.
- Kills from Guaragno and Desai put Vassar up 26-25 before a kill from Peiser and two VC errors gave the Soaring Eagles the first set victory.
SECOND SET
- Elmira held a 5-3 following three kills from Peiser before Vassar battled back to take a 7-6 lead on two winners from junior Payne Lounsbery.
- The Brewers lead grew to 16-11 after two blocks from Desai and senior Vaughn Ramsey before Elmira took the lead back at 19-18 after a block from Dylan Vargas and Max Cohen.
- Vassar answered with five straight points on Elmira errors before kills from Akoto and Guaragno clinched the Vassar second set victory.
THIRD SET
- The Soaring Eagles took an 8-5 advantage after two kills from Suffa and the lead stuck at three on a Peiser kill to make it 11-8.
- Vassar battled back to take a 15-13 lead after three kills from Akoto and one from Ramsey.
- Elmira answered to take a 18-16 lead after a kill and an ace from Peise before VC took advantage of two Elmira errors to push ahead 20-19.
- The Soaring Eagles rallied behind a kill and an ace from Sosa along with a winner each from Luke Jata and Vargas to take a 23-20 lead.
- Vassar scored the final five points of the set, led by three kills from Guaragno, to earn the set win.
FOURTH SET
- Vassar raced out to an 8-3 lead in the fourth set as Guaragno notched two kills along with a block from Akoto, Guaragno and sophomore Eli Lee.
- Elmira cut the advantage to 12-10 after a kill from Cohen and a block from Jata and Vargas.
- The Brewers extended the lead to 19-12 after a winner from Lee and a block from Ramsey and Desai.
- Elmira got within five at 20-15 on a Peiser winner before a triple block from Lee, Guaragno and Akoto clinched the match victory.
FOR THE BREWERS
- Guaragno led the way with 13 kills (.565), four blocks and five digs while Akoto added 11 winners and three blocks.
- Lounsbery finished with nine kills and seven digs while Lee chipped in five kills and two blocks.
- Desai recorded four kills, two aces and four blocks along with Ramsey tallying three kills and three blocks.
- First year Parker Schoenl handed out a team-high 24 assists along with two aces and seven digs while Villamil added 21 assists and four digs.
- Sophomore Casey McMenamin lifted a team-best 12 digs.
FOR THE SOARING EAGLES
- Peiser put together an impressive performance with 24 kills, four aces and 10 digs to lead Elmira.
- Sosa finished with eight kills, two blocks and seven digs while Vargas and Jata each tallied six winners.
- Suffa added four winners while Cohen handed out a match-high 40 assists and added four digs.
- Alex Vega lifted a team-high 11 digs for Elmira.
VASSAR 3 HOBART 1
FIRST SET
- Hobart took an early 6-4 advantage as three different Statesmen tallied a kill along with an ace from Anthony Zontini.
- Vassar battled back to take a 9-8 lead following a Lounsbery ace and a kill from senior Colin Jones.
- The Statesmen regained the advantage at 15-11 after two kills from Aiden Kemora and one each from Andrew Kim and Daniel Sappia.
- Vassar drew even at 19 following two winners from junior Billy Fan and one from senior Jacob Kim.
- Following a Jones kill to tie it at 20, Hobart scored five of the final six points as A. Kim buried three kills and a block from Nate Magni and Kemora clinched the set victory.
SECOND SET
- The second set went back-and-forth in the opening stages as a Zack Farren winner tied the set at 10 all.
- Vassar earned a 15-12 lead after a kill and ace from Lounsbery along with a block from Jones and Ramsey.
- Hobart battled back to take a one-point advantage on a kill from A. Kim at 21-20.
- Both teams traded points as the set extended beyond 25 points after errors by both squads.
- After a kill from A. Kim evened the set at 28 all, a Hobart errors and a Guaragno kill clinched the marathon second set victory.
THIRD SET
- Vassar raced out to an 8-3 lead as J. Kim and Ramsey each buried two kills.
- The Statesmen battled back to even the set at 13 all following two kills from Sappia and one from A. Kim.
- Vassar regained the advantage at 19-15 after an ace and winner from J. Kim along with blocks from Desai and Lounsbery.
- Hobart got within one at 20-19 before Vassar scored the final five points, led by two kills from Akoto and one each from Lounsbery and first year Tucker Shearn.
FOURTH SET
- Vassar used three winners from J. Kim along with two kills from Desai to earn a 10-6 lead to open the fourth set.
- The lead expanded to 14-7 after two kills from J. Kim along with a triple block from Lounsbery, Desai and J. Kim.
- Vassar grew its lead to 22-15 on an ace from Fan before the Statesmen battled back to get within 24-23 on three kills from A. Kim and a block from Magni and Sappia.
- Lounsbery buried a kill to extend Vassar's winning streak to six straight matches and clinch the match victory.
FOR THE BREWERS
- J. Kim notched a career-high 17 kills along with 16 assists, three blocks, an ace and 10 digs on the day.
- Lounsbery added 12 kills, three aces, four blocks and four digs while Akoto added nine kills and two blocks.
- Fan registered six kills, five assists and nine digs along with senior AJ Erickson handing out a team-high 27 assists and adding 10 digs.
- First year Tucker Shearn lifted a team-high 13 digs for the Brewers.
FOR THE STATESMEN
- Sappia finished with a match-high 19 kills, two blocks and 11 digs while A. Kim tallied 18 kills, two aces, two blocks and seven digs.
- Kemora recorded 10 kills, two blocks and 12 digs while Getz added five winners.
- Magni finished with six kills and two blocks along with Farren handing out a match-high 45 assists and two blocks and eight digs.
- Gavin Meador lifted a match-best 15 digs for Hobart.
UP NEXT
- Vassar hits the road for the month of March as they begin their road trip with a UVC contest against Nazareth on Friday, March 1.