BEVERLY, Mass. – The Endicott men's volleyball team erased a late 20-15 deficit in set three to claim an eventual 3-1 victory over Johnson & Wales University (JWU) by scores of 25-21, 21-25, 25-22, and 25-15 on Tuesday night at MacDonald Gymnasium.
Newly minted Sports Imports/American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Men's Division III National Player of the Week Bryn Lipton (Rockford, Ill.) led all student-athletes with a match-high 19 kills (.405) alongside two service aces, five digs, and one block assist.
Donovan Dey (Fairport, N.Y.) ripped home 14 kills, while Troy Riorden (Fairport, N.Y.) and Jeremy Doski (Sandy Hook, Conn.) both contributed eight kills apiece in the win. Riorden also compiled a match-high 16 digs.
Trailing 20-15 in the third set with the match tied at 1-1, the Gulls rallied behind three kills each from Lipton and Doski. Dey also pitched in with one kill, while Riorden had one kill and the set-clinching service ace that gave Endicott all the momentum it needed in the fourth.
The Gulls wasted little time in the final stanza racing out to a 21-13 advantage before JWU finally took its second timeout, however, it was too late. Endicott capitalized on a service error to go up 22-13, and later received two kills from Dey and a match-winning kill by Riorden.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- Endicott is 19-9 versus JWU.
- The Gulls have also won three straight against the Wildcats.
- Ryan Healy (Fair Lawn, N.J.) notched 13 digs.
- Chad Riorden (Fairport, N.Y.) registered his first double-double of the season with 22 assists and 11 digs.
- Adam Dake (Victor, N.Y.) paced the team in assists with 27 (also tied for the match-high).
- Tonight's win marks the first home opening victory for the Gulls since 2015 (Elms, 3-0, 2/12/15).
FOR THE FOES
- Donovan Kelley (Encinitas, Calif.) tallied 10 kills on 17 swings (.529) in addition to six block assists.
- Kanila Chang (Orlando, Fla.) and Jonny Trail (East Hartford, Conn.) finished second on the squad with six kills apiece.
- Cameron Ponce (San Jose, Calif.) dished out a match-high 27 assists.
WHAT'S NEXT
Endicott (7-0) travels to No. 10 Wentworth this Thursday at 7 PM. JWU (3-6) hosts Rivier on Tuesday, February 6 at 7 PM.
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(Photo Credit - David Le '10)