Jan. 22, 2009
CHICOPEE, Mass. - Endicott junior middle blocker A.J. Witkofsky (Scotia, N.Y.) knocked down a match-high 20 kills and the Gulls tallied 17 team blocks en route to a 3-1 (30-32, 30-18, 30-24, 30-22) win over Elms College in Thursday night's New England Collegiate Volleyball Association (NECVA) New England Division men's volleyball match at the Maguire Center.
The Gulls improved to 2-3 overall, 1-0 NECVA New England, while Elms College fell to 2-4, 1-1 NECVA New England.
Witkofsky was sensational, as he hit .444 (20-4-36) on the night and added a match-high nine total blocks for the Gulls.
The Blazers battled to a 32-30 first set victory in which neither team led by more than two points in the set. Freshman middle hitter Vincent Cruz (Harwinton, Conn.) scored one of his nine kills in the match for the 31st point of the set, then teamed up with junior setter Ivan Andujar (Carolina, Puerto Rico) for a block on the ensuing point to seal the victory.
The Gulls, however, roared to life in the second set. A kill by Cruz midway through the set pulled the Blazers to within 18-16, but Endicott used a 12-2 run down the stretch to tie the match at 1-1.
The Gulls then hit .400 in the third set, as Wikofsky erupted for eight kills on 10 swings. Endicott would close out the match by hitting .370 in the fourth set with sophomore opposite Jordan Durant (Honolulu, Hawaii) slamming down five kills on seven swings.
Durant finished with 12 kills, junior setter Ben Foster (Penfield, N.Y.) handed out 47 assists and junior middle blocker James Silva (Monroe, Conn.) added seven total blocks in the winning effort.
Sophomore outside hitter Alberto Bravo (Toa Baja, Puerto Rico) hammered out 20 kills, including nine in the first set, sophomore outside hitter Carlos DeLeon-Gomez (Carolina, Puerto Rico) added 14 kills, and Andujar dished out 48 assists.
Elms College returns to non-conference play next Thursday, January 29 at defending Molten Division III national champion Springfield College. Endicott gets back to action on Saturday afternoon when the Gulls will host Wentworth for a 1:00 p.m. start.
