Union, NJ - Head Coach Richard Gary became the all-time winningest head coach in Vassar College Men's Volleyball program history on Friday evening as the #6 Brewers earned a 25-11, 25-19, 28-26 over Kean in the first match at the Clash at Kean.

With the victory, Gary earned his 159th career win at the helm of Vassar and holds a record of 159-56 while passing longtime head coach Jonathan Penn.

First Set

• Following a Michael McSorley kill that put the Cougars ahead 4-3, Vassar rattled off five straight points behind a kill each from senior Billy Fan and sophomores Walter Birnbaum and Armaan Desai.
• Vassar went on another run to extend the lead to 14-5 as Fan landed three aces along with a winner from Desai.
• The lead grew to 19-9 after three more kills for Birnbaum and one from senior Gavin Akoto.
• Vassar collected six of the final seven points as Desai tallied two more winners along with a kill each from sophomore Parker Schoenl and first year Shawn Zheng.
• The Brewers closed the first set victory with a double block from Desai and first year Henry Bonney.

Second Set

• Vassar got out to a 5-3 lead following a kill from Zheng before three straight points from Kean, led by a winner from Chris Mitchell and a block from Nick Huzar, put the Cougars ahead 6-5.
• Kean expanded its lead to 11-9 after a winner each from Sean Murphy and Aidan Flinn.
• Vassar regained the advantage at 15-14 following two kills from sophomore Enzo Bertini and Birnbaum along with an ace from Desai.
• Kean took back a 17-16 lead on an ace from Mitchell until VC tallied six straight points behind a kill each from Akoto and Zheng along with a kill and block from senior Tobias Clark.
• The Cougars got within 22-19 before a kill from Desai put the Brewers ahead 2-0.

Third Set

• After a 6-6 tie opened the final set, Vassar used a kill from Birnbaum, triple block from Bertini, Akoto and Birnbaum and a solo rejection from Akoto to go ahead 9-6.
• Back-to-back kills from junior James Zuckerman got the Brewers a 16-14 advantage until a five-point run from the Cougars put Kean ahead 19-16 after kills from Pugliano and Mitchell.
• Vassar evened the set at 21 all after a block and kill from Zheng and a winner each from Bertini and Desai.
• The Brewers pushed Kean to match point at 24-23 and 25-24 until a Flinn kill evened the set at 25.
• VC closed the match with kills from Fan and Birnbaum to complete the season-opening sweep.

For The Brewers

• Birnbaum buried a career-high 14 kills while hitting .500 and added two blocks and a team-high eight digs.
• Desai tallied eight kills and three blocks along with Zheng recording five kills and a solo block.
• Akoto added four winners and two blocks while Fan registered four kills and three aces.
• Bertini finished with four kills and two blocks while senior Nick Villamil handed out a match-high 18 assists.
• Schoenl added 16 assists and sophomore Tucker Shearn lifted six digs.

For the Cougars

• Mitchell posted a team-high six kills and three digs along with Pugliano adding five kills.
• Murphy finished with four kills and two digs while Flinn recorded three winners and six digs.
• David Flores handed out a team-high 17 assists and added eight digs along with Tyler Quinn lifting a team-high nine digs.

Up Next

• Vassar will take on #9 Wentworth and NJCU tomorrow at Kean with the first match beginning at 2:00 p.m.
• Kean will square off with #13 Nichols and #4 Stevens tomorrow afternoon.