Santa Cruz, CA - The #7 Vassar College Men's Volleyball split its final two matches at the UC Santa Cruz Slug Slam on Saturday afternoon as the Brewers fell 16-25, 12-25, 23-25 to #9 Cal Lutheran before rebounding with a 27-25, 25-15, 25-20 sweep of Concordia (Wis.). Vassar closes the weekend at 1-2 overall.

Cal Lutheran 3 Vassar 0

First Set

• VC went ahead 4-3 early following a kill and an ace from sophomore Stuart Dow along with winners from junior Walter Birnbaum and sophomore Henry Bonney.
• Following a back-and-forth affair, Cal Lutheran pulled ahead 15-12 behind winners from Brendan Hom and Tyler Linville.
• Another kill from Dow slowed the Kingsmen run at 19-14 before Cal Lu expanded the advantage to 22-14 on two kills from Aidan Godfrey and one kill from Hom.
• Bonney buried a winner to close within 24-16 but a VC attack error clinched the opening set victory for Cal Lu.

Second Set

• Cal Lu raced out to a 9-1 lead to begin the second set on kills from Linville, Hom and Mason Rowell.
• Two kills from first year Darwin Davis cut the advantage to 11-5 until the Kingsmen rattled off four straight on two aces from Hom and a winner from Linville.
• Two more winners from Birnbaum and a block from Dow helped cut the deficit to 18-10.
• Cal Lutheran scored the final four points of the set on a kill from Matthew Wilcox and an ace from Keaton Hendry.

Third Set

• Both teams traded points early before Cal Lu pulled ahead 12-6 after two kills apiece from Rowell and Linville.
• Vassar battled back to within 15-13 on back-to-back blocks from sophomore Armaan Desai and first year Carroll Jenkins.
• The Brewers trimmed the lead to just one behind an ace and a kill from Desai.
• Hom posted three aces and a kill to push the Kingsmen lead up to 22-16.
• VC got within a point again at 23-22 on a block and a kill from Birnbaum along with a block from senior Doug Chandler.
• CLU used two straight kills from Godfrey to take the final set victory.

For The Brewers

• Birnbaum and Desai each recorded six kills and three blocks while Bonney added five winners and four digs.
• Davis registered three kills and an ace along with Dow tallying two kills and a block.
• Junior Parker Schoenl and first year Kaden Chen each handed out 12 assists.
• Senior Casey McMenamin lifted three digs.

For The Kingsmen

• Linville recorded a match-high 10 kills and eight digs while Godfrey buried seven kills.
• Hom finished with seven kills, five aces and nine digs along with Rowell registering three kills and three blocks.
• Hendry posted 26 assists and five digs while Braden Gonzales lifted seven digs.

Vassar 3 Concordia (Wis.) 0

First Set

• Concordia took a 6-3 lead to start the match as Reid Scott recorded two kills along with a block and a winner from Chase Ammons.
• Two kills and a block from Tate Miller expanded the lead to 12-5 for the Falcons.
• A kill from Jenkins cut the lead to 15-12 before CUW used two kills from Parker Butterfass pushed the lead up to 17-12.
• VC clawed back to 19-18 following a kill and an ace from first year George Idowu and a winner from Birnbaum.
• Back-to-back winners from Jenkins and Desai helped the Brewers draw even at 21 before the Falcons used two kills from Scott to go back in front 23-21.
• The Brewers then regained the lead at 24-23 on a kill from Desai and a block from Idowu before CUW went ahead 25-24 behind an Owen Kolozsy kill.
• Vassar scored the final three points of the set as a Idowu kill and an ace from Schoenl clinched the first set victory.

Second Set

• Concordia tallied three of the first four points in the second set on kills from Scott and Kolozsy.
• Vassar answered with a 7-0 run, led by two kills from Davis, an ace from Desai and a block from Desai and Jenkins, to take a 8-3 lead.
• The Falcons got back within four at 14-10 on a Kolozsy winner before the Brewers answered with a kill from Davis and blocks from Desai and Chen to pull ahead 18-11.
• VC increased its lead to 22-14 behind an ace and a kill from Davis, two kills from Idowu and a winner from first year Mason Cochran.
• Vassar closed the set with a block from Desai to score a 2-0 lead.

Third Set

• VC opened the third set with a 6-3 lead following blocks from junior Enzo Bertini and Jenkins.
• The lead expanded to 11-7 after kills from Birnbaum, Dow and Bertini and a block from Desai.
• Concordia drew within 13-10 on a kill from Miller before the Brewers used a kill from Jenkins and a Desai ace to push the lead to 16-11.
• CUW trimmed the advantage to 18-15 following a block from Hayden Hurley and a winner from Kolozsy until Vassar tallied a kill from Cochran and a Desai block to force a Falcons timeout at 20-15.
• Back-to-back kills from Kolozsy cut the lead to 20-18 but the Brewers used aces from Birnbaum and Desai along with a Desai kill to earn the sweep.

For The Brewers

• Desai tallied eight kills (.471), six blocks and three aces while Birnbaum posted six kills, two aces and six digs.
• Jenkins recorded five winners and two blocks along with Davis and Idowu added four kills, a block and an ace.
• Chen registered 14 assists and five digs while Schoenl chipped in 12 assists.
• McMenamin lifted a team-high eight digs.

For The Falcons

• Scott registered a match-high nine kills and five digs along with Koloszy tallying eight kills and six digs.
• Miller added six kills and five digs while Butterfass chipped in five winners and a block.
• Ammons recorded four kills and a block along with Hurley finishing with 25 assists and nine digs.

Up Next

• Vassar will return home for its first home tri-match of the season against Mount Aloysius and Rutgers-Newark on Saturday, beginning at 12:00 p.m.