Volleyball

Lions Put Up Fight but Saints Prevail

BOSTON, MASS. -- Emmanuel College survived a second game scare from Emerson College, but the Saints held on to take a 3-0 Great Northeast Athletic Conference men's volleyball decision at Emerson's Brown-Plofker Gym. The Saints took the first game by a 30-19 count, but were pushed to the brink in the second game rallying to earn a 32-30 decision. Emmanuel grabbed a 30-22 victory in the third game.

Emmanuel's Michael Delsignore set the tone early in the first game on Emmanuel's first service. Following a kill by the Saints' Alexander Petty to open the match, Delsignore served four consecutive aces to give Emmanuel a 5-0 lead. Emerson pulled back to within 10-13 on a service ace by Dean Dimitruk (So., Philadelphia, Pa.), but a Petty Kill stemmed the comeback and the Lions were never able to get any closer. A kill by Michael Mottola scored the final point for the Saints.

The second game was close throughout as the teams had eight ties in the first nine points. Emmanuel grabbed an 11-9 lead, but Emerson scored the next four points to go up 13-11. The Lions were able to keep the margin at 15-13 when Emmanuel went on a five point run highlighted by four consecutive service points by Mottola. A 5-2 run by Emerson tied the game at 20. The team then exchanged points on eight straight serves for a 24-24 deadlock. Emerson forged a 28-24 lead on a service error and two attack errors by the Saints. A kill by Emerson's Jeff Ackerstein (Fr., Newton, Mass.) was included in the run.

An attack error by Emerson was followed by Emmanuel Kills by Petty and Delsignore. Emerson took a 29-28 lead on a net violation, but an attack error tied the score at 29. A Petty Kill was followed by a kill by Frank O'Sullivan (Fr., Ottawa, Ontario) to knot the game at 30. A successful attack by Sean O'Connor (So., Hampstead, N.H.), followed by another Petty kill gave the Saints a 32-30 victory.

Emerson again started well in game three taking a 5-1 lead off an Ackerstein kill followed by four Ackerstein serves. Emmanuel rallied to tie the game at 7-7 and neither team was able to gain more than a one point advantage until Emmanuel took a 16-14 lead on a service ace by Petty. Three consecutive service errors made the score 18-16. Three consecutive service points by Mottola opened a five point Emmanuel lead, and though the Lions closed to within three points on three different occasions, Emmanuel held on to take the match with a 30-22 final game score.

Lions Drop Lesley, 3-0

BOSTON, MASS. -- Emerson College won its fourth match of it's inaugural men's volleyball season as the Lions defeated Lesley University 3-0 on the night of the dedication of their home court, the Bobbi Brown and Steven Plofker Gym.

The Lions took a 30-24, 30-20, 30-25 straight set victory over the Lynx. to give Emerson is second victory in its last three matches. Steven Selnick (Fr., Cheshire, Conn.) led the Lions with 14 kills and Jeff Ackerstein (Fr., Falmouth, Maine) with 11 and Evan Ong (So., Pasadena, Calif.) with 10 were also in double figures. Dean Dimitruk (So., Philadelphia, Pa.) had 33 assists in the victory.

Emerson (4-12) next faces Emmanuel College at home on Tuesday, March 24 at 7p.m.

Mustangs Edge Lions in GNAC Tilt

BOSTON, MASS. – The Mount Ida Mustangs (6-11, 3-5 GNAC) rode the strong hitting of Thomas Belton to a 3-0 victory over Emerson College (2-11, 1-7 GNAC) in Great Northeast Athletic Conference men’s Volleyball action in Emerson’s Brown-Plofker Gym. The Mustangs took the first two games by scores of 30-28 and won the clincher 30-27.

Mount Ida never trailed in the first game, but was never able to put the Lions away. Emerson consistently rallied behind the hitting of Jeff Ackerstein (Fr., Newton, Mass., above left) who had six kills. Mount Ida took its largest lead at 25-19, but the Lions fought their way back to 27-29 on three kills and a block point by Frank O’Sullivan (Fr., Ottawa, Ontario) before a kill by Belton put the game away. Belton had eight kills in the game.

Emerson took its first lead in game two at 17-16 on an Ackerstein kill, and held the lead at 27-26 off another Ackerstein blast.  Mount Ida rallied on a block by Shane Wilson. A hitting error by Emerson gave the Mustangs a 28-27 lead and two Belton Kills sandwiched around an Emerson service error game Mount Ida the game.

Mount Ida trailed 1-3 early in the third game but rallied to take a 27-20 lead. Emerson then went on a 7-2 run highlighted by two kills and a block by Steve Selnick (Fr., Cheshire, Conn.). Emerson dropped the final point when the Lions were called for being in the net on a kill attempt.

Ackerstein had a big night for the Lions torching 19 kills with only three hitting errors. He also added 14 digs. O'Sullivan tallied 14 kills, while Selnick had 18 digs. Dean Dimitruk (So., Philadelphia, Pa.) recorded 36 assists.

Emerson next plays a GNAC tri-match at Johnson & Wales with Albertus Magnus on Saturday, March 14.

MIT DEFEATS ELMS AND EMERSON IN MEN’S VOLLEYBALL TRI-MATCH

From MIT Sports Information - 2/28/09

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – The MIT men’s volleyball team extended its winning streak to 11 following victories over Elms College and Emerson College on Saturday. In a North East Collegiate Volleyball Association (NECVA) New England Division tilt, the Engineers (16-9, 9-3 NECVA) topped Elms, 30-32, 30-24, 30-28, 30-16, before defeating Emerson, 30-19, 30-15, 30-12. Earlier, Elms swept Emerson, 30-26, 30-8, 30-14.

MIT def. Elms College, 3-1 (30-32, 30-24, 30-28, 30-16)

Eric Reuland posted 13 kills, nine digs, and six blocks as Malcolm Bean recorded 13 kills and five blocks. Scott Pollom notched 14 kills and six blocks while Garrett Winther totaled 11 kills and four blocks. Michael Demyttenaere tallied eight kills and two aces as Eugene Jang paced MIT with 14 digs. Jeremy Velazquez added eight digs while Tim Lee dished out 53 assists.

Sequiel Sanchez Velez led Elms (10-11, 6-3 NECVA) with 19 kills and two blocks as Alberto Bravo amassed 18 kills. Carlos DeLeon-Gomez tallied 16 digs and two aces while Marc Carrasco collected 18 digs. Jesus Echevarria distributed 43 assists as Vincent Cruz added two blocks.

Elms College def. Emerson College, 3-0 (30-26, 30-8, 30-14)

Sequiel Sanchez Velez tallied 11 kills, a .611 hitting percentage, 10 digs, eight aces, and two blocks for Elms. Alberto Bravo recorded 13 kills, a .524 hitting percentage, and two blocks as Carlos DeLeon-Gomez posted eight digs. Jesus Echevarria and Ivan Andujar shared setting responsibilities, tallying 24 and 19 assists, respectively.

Frank O’Sullivan paced Emerson (2-10) with eight kills and two blocks as Steve Selnick registered eight digs and seven kills. Jeff Ackerstein posted seven kills and five digs while Evan Ong tacked on five digs. Dean Dimitruk contributed 21 assists and two blocks to the Lions’ cause.

MIT def. Emerson College, 3-0 (30-19, 30-15, 30-12)

Randolph Li led the way for MIT with nine kills as Michael Demyttenaere added seven kills. Benson George registered five kills and four aces while Scott Pollom contributed five kills and three aces. Eric Reuland notched five digs as Caine Jette finished with 24 assists and three aces.

For Emerson, Dimitruk recorded 15 assists as Ong collected six digs.

Emerson will host Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) foe Mount Ida College Tuesday evening at 7p.m.

RAIDERS DOMINATE LIONS IN MEN'S VOLLEYBALL ACTION  

BOSTON, MASS. -- Rivier College (21-1, 7-0 Great Northeast Athletic Conference) played its second team most of the match and defeated Emerson College (2-8, 1-6 GNAC) 3-0 in men's volleyball action in Emerson's Brown-Plofker Gym. The Raiders took the first set by a 30-10 count and won the second and third sets by identical 30-15 scores.

Rivier, ranked second in the nation in Division III men's volleyball, was never threatened, holding the Lions to only 11 kills for the entire match. Emerson, a first year varsity program, was unable to contain Rivier outside hitter Andrew Paine and middle hitter Tajh Stokes throughout the match.

Emerson's next match is Saturday February 28 when the Lions travel to MIT for a tri-match with Elms College. matches are at 1p.m. and 3p.m.

Emerson Battles, Newbury Prevails

From Newbury College Sports Information - 2/12/09

BROOKLINE, MASS. -- The Newbury Men’s Volleyball team improved its overall record to 14-1 with a three-game victory over Emerson College tonight. The Lions would not go down quietly, however, as the first-year squad scored 26, 22, and 16 points against the defending ECAC Champion Nighthawks

In game one, Emerson was led by Jeff Ackerstein (Newton, MA/Newton South) who accumulated four kills while Evan Ong (Pasadena, CA/St. Francis) held down the back row with four digs. Newbury saw their most consistent play from James Beck who recorded four digs, one kill, and one service ace; and was able to hold on to the victory 30-26. The second game saw Beck and teammate Max Daley add an additional four kills a piece, as Newbury widened their margin of victory winning by a score of 30-22. Finally, in game three, Emerson’s inexperience took over as they committed seven attacking errors, allowing the Nighthawks to cruise to a 30-16 game and match triumph.

The Lions’ Steve Selnick (Cheshire, CT/Cheshire) finished with a match-high nine kills; but it would not be enough as Newbury’s Daley, Seung Hee Kim, and Chris Chin all finished with seven of their own.

Emerson's next match is Tuesday, February 17 at Rivier College in Nashua, N.H. at 7p.m.

Lasers drop lions 3-0

BOSTON, MASS. -- Lasell College survived a close first set with upstart Emerson College to take a 3-0 men's volleyball victory in Great Northeast Athletic Conference action at Emerson's Brown-Plofker Gym. The Lasers took the first set 30-24, then cruised through the second and third sets by scores of 30-16 and 30-18.

Emerson, a first year program, grabbed the early lead in the first set going out to 3-0, 4-1, and 8-5 leads. Lasell rallied to take a 10-9 advantage, and although the Lions kept the score close, they were never able to regain the lead. The six point margin of victory was the largest of the set for the Lasers.

Lasell started more strongly in the second set, taking a 3-0 lead. Emerson rallied to tie the score at 3-3 and 5-5, but the Lasers went on a 10-2 run to take control of the match. Emerson was never able to close to within less than seven points the remainder of the set.

Emerson stayed close throughout the opening of the third set, trailing 12-15 halfway through. A six point service run by the Lasers put the set and the match away.

MOUNT IDA MEN’S VOLLEYBALL NOTCHES FIRST CONFERENCE VICTORY OVER EMERSON, 3-2

from Mount Ida College Sports Information - 2/4/09

NEWTON, MASS. - The Mount Ida College men’s volleyball team notched their second consecutive victory and their first Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) win in the Northeast Collegiate Volleyball Association (NECVA) over Emerson College 3-2 (30-28, 30-24, 31-33, 26-30, 15-8). The Mustangs improve to 2-3 overall and 1-1 in the GNAC while the hosts drop to 2-2, 1-3 in division play.

The Lions came out hot in the opening of game one commanding an 8-1 advantage capped off after a Mustang error. The hosts battled back cutting the lead to four points on consecutive errors by the visitors and a couple of kills by sophomore Thomas Belton trailing 10-6. Emerson held a marginal advantage, up by eight points on a service ace by freshman Steve Selnick (Cheshire, Conn.) leading 20-12. Just when it looked like the Lions would pull away to take an early lead, the Mustangs came charging back going on a 12-4 run knotting the score at 27-27 after another Belton kill. Mount Ida scored three out of the next four combined points taking the game one victory (30-28) and the 1-0 match lead.

Game two was back and forth in the opening with the visitors leading by three up 9-6. The score knotted five times through the next eight points with Mount Ida eventually holding a steady 20-18 lead after an Emerson error and a solo block by Belton. The Mustangs scored the next three points after a McMenamin kill and a tandem block by freshmen Franklin McCaffrey and McCoy Arnoux ahead 21-18. The hosts held a small three point advantage up until the 27-24 mark after a blocking error by the Mustangs. Junior Shane Wilson notched two huge points for the hosts at the end eventually leading Mount Ida to a game two victory (30-24) up 2-0 in the match.

It was very close in game three with both teams exchanging points and Emerson holding a two point advantage up 10-8 after a big block. Following a tie score at 12-12, the Mustangs commanded an 18-14 lead after a McCaffrey kill. It remained very close each team going point for point down to the wire and knotting eight times before the end of the set. Mount Ida had trouble communicating which led to numerous errors and more Emerson points. But the Lions also had their fair share of problems keeping the Mustangs in the hunt for the shutout. Eventually the visitors notched the final two points of game three on a kill and a hitting error by the hosts. Emerson captured the game three win (33-31) making it a 2-1 match in favor of Mount Ida.

The Mustangs buried themselves in an early hole at the beginning of game four trailing 6-1 after a Belton hitting error. Mount Ida cut the advantage to a deuce down 11-9 after a receiving error by the visitors. The score was close with the squads exchanging points until the Lions edged a 20-18 lead after a Mustang receiving error by McCaffrey. The hosts began to compose themselves, helped by a couple of Lions errors to cut the lead to two at 25-23. Unfortunately for Mount Ida, the visitors took over harnessing the 30-26 game four win tying the match at 2-2.

The Mustangs powered up in the final game leading 7-2 after a double hit by the Lions. Mount Ida started to feel the momentum going on a 5-0 run with four huge points by Belton off two blocks and two key kills. McMenamin hammered the final point of game five to capture the 15-8 victory. The Mustangs rode to their second win of the season and their first GNAC victory of the season.

The Mustangs were led by Belton with 28 kills and 15 digs while McMenamin notched 11 kills, 16 digs, and three service aces.

The Lions saw outstanding performances from freshman Jeff Ackerstein (Newton, Mass.) with 23 digs and 15 kills. Sophomore Evan Ong (Pasadena, Calif.) tallied 20 digs while Frank O’Sullivan (Ottawa, Ontario) hammered 16 kills.

Emerson Men's Volleyball Wins Inaugural Home Match

BOSTON, MASS. – Emerson College hosted and won its first intercollegiate men’s volleyball match by taking a 3-0 Great Northeast Athletic Conference victory over Albertus Magnus College in the first game of a tri-match. The Lions took the match by set scores of 30-13, 30-23, and 30-21.

Emerson didn’t fare so well in its second match of the day dropping the nightcap to Johnson & Wales University by scores of 20-30, 11-30, and 8-30.

Johnson & Wales also took a 30-11, 30-12, 30-13 decision from Albertus Magnus.

In the opening match Emerson (1-2, 1-2 Great Northeast Athletic Conference) gave up the first point of the match, but then scored the next six points to take control of the set. Albertus Magnus (0-3, 0-3 GNAC) was never able to close the gap to less than four the remainder of the set. The second set was close throughout the first portion with the teams tied at 15-15. Emerson was able to forge a 22-20 lead, and off four consecutive points for a 26-20 advantage from which Albertus could not recover. The Lions took an 8-2 lead in the third set, and although the Falcons narrowed the advantage to 9-5, that was as close as Albertus would come for the remainder of the set.

The first set of the Emerson - Johnson & Wales (3-4, 2-3 GNAC) match was very competitive as Emerson took an 8-6 lead and the set was tied at 11. The Wildcats then used a 9-2 run to take control. Emerson was never in sets two and three, falling behind 19-4 in the second and 16-2 in the third.

Emerson will travel to Mount Ida College on Wednesday, February 5 for another GNAC match at 7p.m.

SAINTS CAGE LIONS TO WIN HOME OPENER

From Emmanuel College Sports Information - 1/22/09

BOSTON, Mass. – The Emmanuel College (2-2, 1-0 Great Northeast Athletic Conference) Men’s Volleyball Team cruised to a three-set sweep of Emerson College (0-1, 0-1 GNAC) in the team’s home opener on Thursday night in the Jean Yawkey Center. The Lions, who were playing in their first-ever intercollegiate match, were defeated 30-18, 30-7, and 30-17. 

Sophomores Curtis Abram and Matt Salvi led Emmanuel with 6 kills in 8 total attempts. Freshman Alexander Petty notched 5 kills in 7 swings, while sophomore Keoni Rabaino tallied 5 kills in 6 swings. Rookie Mike Mottola was perfect on offense, hitting 4 for 4, in the match.

Setters, Sean O’Connor and Michael Delsignore each played a game and a half and dished out 15 and 13 assists, respectively. Sophomore captain Jacob DeLuise led the team on defense with 7 digs on the night. Sophomore Stephen Keeney rattled off 17-straight points in the third set to seal the win for Emmanuel.

Emerson will be idle until Saturday, January 31, when the Lions will host a GNAC tri-match with Johnson & Wales University and Albertus Magnus College with the first match scheduled for 12p.m.