Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 THE BASICS
Match One Score: Rivier 3, Emerson 0 (25-23, 25-20, 32-30)
Match Two Score: Emerson 3, Albertus Magnus 0 (25-13, 25-7, 25-14)
Records: Emerson Lions (13-12, 6-8 GNAC); Rivier Raiders (19-12, 10-4 GNAC); Albertus Magnus Falcons (2-17, 0-14 GNAC)
Location: Boston, Mass. (Brown & Plofker Gym)
Date: April 8, 2017
The Lead: A combined 24 kills from sophomore Win Kittivatcharapong (Bangkok, Mass.) helped set up the Emerson men's volleyball team's GNAC tri-match split to conclude regular season home action against Rivier and Albertus Magnus on Saturday afternoon. With the win over Albertus Magnus, Emerson locks up the No. 5 seed in the GNAC quarterfinals next Tuesday.
Match One: Rivier 3, Emerson 0
HOW IT HAPPENED
SET ONE
- Rivier grabbed the early 6-5 lead before Emerson notched the next five of six points to go ahead by three at 10-7 on an attack error.
- The Raiders earned back the next four consecutive points to put them ahead, 11-10, as the Lions gained the 12-11 lead an another attack error.
- Rivier never held a lead that exceeded three and watched Emerson erase their 20-17 lead as they used a 4-1 push to square the score at 21-all on a kill from junior Stig Regan (Kailua, Hi.).
- Emerson squared the match up two more times, but the Lions being out of rotation handed Rivier the 25-23 win.
SET TWO
- Emerson quickly found themselves down 7-3 to start off the second frame on a kill by Cam Roth, yet the Lions countered for six more points to pull within a pair at 11-9.
- The Lions remained three points back of the Raiders on two occasions before the Raiders extended their advantage to 17-11 on a Nathan Kunkel ace.
- Rivier bumped ahead by seven at 22-15 on an ace from Francis Kokoros, but Emerson registered five of the next six points to close within three at 23-20.
- The Raiders wrapped up the 25-20 set win on a kill from Roth and an attack error.
SET THREE
- Six ties occurred through the beginning of the third before Emerson managed to break the 8-all tie with a 5-1 streak to go up 14-9.
- Emerson held a four point lead over Rivier at 16-12 until the Raiders responded with the next seven of eight points to put them ahead at 19-17.
- Through the midst of the frame, Emerson managed to keep Rivier to within one and caused the set to go past 25.
- The Lions entered the final portion of the set with a 29-28 lead until the Raiders went ahead 30-29.
- After Kittivatcharapong registered a kill to knot the score at 30-all, Rivier recorded the final two points to take the set, 32-20.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
- Kittivatcharapong recorded 14 kills on 25 swings to match one ace, two digs and two blocks and sophomore Mark Piorkowski (Montclair, N.J.) put up 11 kills, two digs and two blocks.
- Junior Nick Rusk (Fort Lauderdale, Fl.) had a match-best 33 assists, freshman Carl D'Aguiar (Tujunga, Calif.) tallied 12 digs and Regan led the defense with five blocks.
- Matt Heckler and Ian Wolski each recorded 10 digs for Rivier and Tyler Blank had 30 assists and nine digs.
- Kunkel and Kokoros each served one ace and Heckler also led the defense with three blocks.
Match Two: Emerson 3, Albertus Magnus 0
HOW IT HAPPENED
SET ONE
- Emerson took a 6-1 lead to open the first frame only to have Albertus Magnus tack on three straight to come within a pair at 6-4.
- The Lions build onto their lead with an extensive 15-3 run to push their advantage into double digits at 21-7 in the midst of the set.
- After a kill by Kittivatcharapong extended Emerson's lead to 23-8, Albertus Magnus earned back three points to come within 12 at 23-11 on a Felix Rivas kill and a pair of attack errors.
- The Falcons were only able to scrape up two more points as the Lions took the first set, 25-13.
SET TWO
- The Lions held the Falcons to a mere five points and thus allowed them to balloon the lead to 20-5 on an attack error.
- Albertus Magnus put a pair of points onto the board on a service and attack error to bring the score to 20-7 before Emerson strung the last five points together to take the 25-7 win.
SET THREE
- Albertus Magnus claimed two leads over Emerson, once at 3-2 and at 7-5, before the Lions offense pushed them back on top at 8-7.
- The Falcons kept a steady pace within the Lions and squared the score, 8-all, but watched as the Lions continued to up the score.
- After Albertus Magnus closed within a pair at 13-11, Emerson notched the final 11 of 13 points to cruise to the 25-14 third set win.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
- Kittivatcharapong once again recorded double digits in kills with 10 to match one block and an ace.
- Rusk registered 28 assists and served four aces, Aguiar had nine digs and Regan also registered one block.
- Revias had a team-best six kills and eight digs for the Falcons, Alijah McGee recorded 11 assists and Joshua Turner recorded two solo blocks.
UP NEXT
- Emerson enters postseason play as the No. 5 seed and takes on Johnson & Wales in Providence, R.I for the GNAC quarterfinals on Tuesday, April 11 at 7:00 p.m.
- Rivier opens their postseason run as the No. 3 seed and will entertain No. 6 Emmanuel in the opening round of the GNAC Tournament on Tuesday, April 11 at 7:00 p.m. as well.
- Albertus Magnus has concluded their season.
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