No. 14 Men’s Volleyball Bests Elms, 3-1; Gulls Inch Closer To Capturing NECC Regular Season Title

Adam Dake hits a volleyball.

CHICOPEE, Mass. – The No. 14 nationally ranked Endicott men's volleyball team defeated conference foe Elms College, 3-1, by scores of 25-17, 25-21, 23-25, and 25-23 on Tuesday night at Picknelly Arena.

With the win, Endicott (18-1, 9-0 NECC) now has a clear path towards securing the New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) regular season title and home-court advantage throughout the playoffs. The Gulls have three conference matches left on the schedule, all against opponents they have defeated this season.

Bryn Lipton (Rockford, Ill.) highlighted Endicott in the win with 19 kills (.324), 12 digs, four blocks (two solo), two service aces, and a 26-for-26 showing on serve-receive. Donovan Dey (Fairport, N.Y.) added 11 kills, while Seth Braquet (Destrehan, La.) and Jeremy Doski (Sandy Hook, Conn.) posted 10 kills apiece.

Adam Dake (Victor, N.Y.) facilitated the offense with a match-high 36 assists (36-for-56, .643), while Chad Riorden (Fairport, N.Y.) chipped in with 20 assists (20-for-51, .392).

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE

  • The Gulls are ranked No. 14 in the latest American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) NCAA Division III Poll.
  • It marks their first national rankings since 2011 when the Gulls were positioned No. 13 in the poll.
  • Tonight's match featured 22 ties and six lead changes.
  • Endicott is 32-3 in the all-time series against Elms.
  • Ryan Healy (Fair Lawn, N.J.) tied Lipton for the match-high in digs with 12.
  • Lipton recorded his second double-double of the season. Both have come against Elms this year.
  • Sixteen of Lipton's 26 receptions correlated in kills (.615), while half of Healy's digs led directly to kills.
  • The Gulls have won 11 matches in a row dating back to February 8.

FOR THE FOES

  • Jovanny Torres (Juncos, Puerto Rico) guided Elms with 18 kills on 33 swings (.455), five assists, six digs, and two block solos.
  • Jeremy Torres (Juncos, Puerto Rico) notched 13 kills (.207), two assists, five digs, and one block solo.
  • John Dunphy (Farmington, Conn.) dished out 28 assists (.459) and also collected three digs and a service ace.

WHAT'S NEXT

No. 14 Endicott (18-1, 9-0 NECC) hosts No. 1 Springfield College tomorrow at 6 PM. Elms (13-6, 5-2 NECC) welcomes Newbury College to its campus this Thursday at 5 PM. 

For the latest on Endicott Athletics, follow the Gulls on social media on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.

(Photo Credit - David Le '10)