THE BASICS 

Match One Score: Wentworth 3, Emerson 0

Match Two Score: Emerson 3, Colby-Sawyer 0

Records: Emerson Lions (5-16, 3-9 GNAC) ; Wentworth Leopards (22-4, 11-1 GNAC) ; Colby Sawyer Mustangs (4-15, 1-10 GNAC)

Location: Boston, Mass. (Tansey Gymnasium) 

Date: March 26, 2022

The Lead: A combined 21 kills from sophomore Neiko Pittman and 43 assists from freshman Bayden Slavik helped the Emerson men's volleyball team take a GNAC tri-match split with Wentworth and Colby Sawyer on Saturday afternoon. The Lions fell to the Leopards in the first match of the day before they picked up a sweep over Colby Sawyer to close out the match.

MATCH ONE: Wentworth 3, Emerson 0

INSIDE THE NUMBERS 

EMERSON

Neiko Pittman: 11 kills 
Bayden Slavik: 18 assists 
Bryson Beck: nine digs 
Ramsis De Los Santos: three blocks 

WENTWORTH 

Hunter Oshman: 12 kills & seven digs
Jacob LaBouliere: 12 kills & three blocks
Connor Adams: 30 assists, two aces
Tyler Jack & Drew Potter: two aces
Colin Stockton: three blocks & two aces

HOW IT HAPPENED 

• The beginning of the first set started off competitive with four ties between Wentworth and Emerson, the last coming at 5-5 on a Leopards attack miscue. The Lions trailed by one at 8-7 before the Leopards went on an 8-2 tear to take the 16-9 lead. 
• Emerson broke up Wentworth's scoring run with the next three of five points to pull within six at 18-12 as the hosts rounded out the first with the final seven points to take the 25-12 win. 
• At the start of the second, Emerson fell behind, 5-2, but were able to claw back within one at 8-7 after they tacked on the next five of eight points. Wentworth went back up five at 13-5, but once again, Emerson battled back with a 4-1 run to sit at 14-12. 
• The Lions remained within a pair on two times, the last at 17-15, before the hosts rattled off a 6-0 streak to go up eight, 23-15. Three more points were added on by Emerson as Wentworth tacked on match point, but a Lions attack error gave the Leopards the 25-18 win. 
• Emerson found themselves on the other end of a 7-2 deficit, but were able to find a way to turn a five-point deficit into two at 8-6 on a Leopards attack error. As the Lions began to make their way back into the set, the Leopards rang off a 6-2 streak to go up seven, 16-9. 
• The Lions fell behind the Leopards by five at 16-11, which was the closest they could come to the hosts. Wentworth used a 5-1 run to bump its advantage into double-figures at 24-14. 
• A trio of kills from Pittman, freshman Jack Miessner and sophomore Luke Roehm inched Emerson to within seven at 24-17, but Wentworth notched match point on a kill from Jacob Waga. 

MATCH TWO: Emerson 3, Colby Sawyer 0

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

EMERSON

Pittman: 10 kills
Slavik: 25 assists & three aces
Roehm: eight digs
Miessner: two blocks 

COLBY SAWYER 

Orlando Plagata: seven kills
AJ Gnieski: 21 assists & nine digs
Lucas Lizotte: three assists
Andrew Kovacs, Eric Miller & Christopher Huynh: one block 

HOW IT HAPPENED 

• Within the opening stanza, eight ties occurred between the two teams. Emerson gained their biggest of four at 14-10 after they broke a 9-all tie and scored five of six points. The Lions, who were up 16-13, saw Colby Sawyer erase the three-point deficit and tied it up at 17-all.
• Emerson started its 5-0 streak on a serving error from Colby Sawyer and upped its advantage up to five at 22-17 after a swing from senior Rory Dobbins capped off the run. 
• Colby Sawyer would not be fended off easily and notched four of the next six points to put the score at 24-21, but Emerson used a Slavik kill to close the 25-21 first set win.
• Much like the first frame, the second started off close before Emerson began to break away on a four-point run to push their lead to seven at 13-6. Two aces and two kills ignited Colby Sawyer to a 6-1 run to inch within a pair at 15-13 before Emerson added on the next trio of scores to move up to the 18-13 edge.
• Colby Sawyer continued to keep up with Emerson and stayed within two down to the last points of the set. Emerson was able to hold on to their lead despite Colby Sawyer closing the gap to three and locked the 25-20 second set win on an attack error and ace.
• Emerson trailed for the first time all match at 2-1 before they broke away on a seven-point tear to up their advantage to six at 8-2. The Lions kept Colby Sawyer away in a nine-point hole, but once again, they battled and pieced together a late 5-0 spark to inch within four at 20-16.
• A kill by Slavik and attack miscue by Colby Sawyer tacked on two more points for Emerson before a kill by Eric Miller put the score at 22-17. Emerson wrapped the sweep with the set's final trio of scores to take the frame, 25-17.

UP NEXT

• Emerson continues its stay on the road with a conference match out at Elms on Tuesday, March 29th at 7:00 p.m.