Vassar College Men’s Volleyball Improves to 10-0

By Steven Merritt

POUGHKEEPSIE – The #3 Vassar College Men’s Volleyball team improved its program best start to 10-0 overall on the season as the Brewers completed a 29-27, 28-26, 25-23 sweep of #18 Misericordia followed by a 25-16, 25-18, 25-16 rout of #16 Lasell on Saturday afternoon in Kenyon Hall. This marks the first time in Vassar history that the Brewers have won the first 10 games of the season.

VC 3 MIS 0
First Set
The Cougars took an early 5-2 lead behind two blocks from Jared Piontkowski, Anthony DePalma and Benjamin Clendening.

Vassar got within one at 11-10 on back-to-back kills from sophomore Walter Birnbaum and senior Billy Fan.

Two kills from Piontkowski and one from Thomas Young extended the Misericordia lead to 16-12 and another Young winner pushed the Cougars ahead 21-17.

Three consecutive winners from first year Shawn Zheng trimmed the Cougars advantage to 24-23 followed by Birnbaum’s kill evening the set at 24 all.

DePalma’s kill put the Cougars back on set point at 27-26 before Vassar used a kill apiece from Fan and Birnbaum to take the opening set.

Second Set
Misericordia held the early 7-5 advantage as a winner from Joe Kozak and DePalma put the Cougars on top.

Back-to-back kills from sophomore Armaan Desai and senior Gavin Akoto tied the set at 11 all.

Piontkowski’s ace gave the Cougars a 20-19 advantage before a block from Akoto and a kill from Birnbaum put the Brewers back in front by a point.

DePalma’s winner evened the set at 24 until VC connected on back-to-back winners from Zheng and Akoto to earn a 28-26 set win.

Third Set
Once again, Misericordia earned a quick 5-1 edge following a kill from Clendening and an ace from DePalma.

Vassar clawed back within two at 12-10 on a Desai ace before the Cougars used two kills from Piontkowski and a Young ace to go ahead 15-11.

VC rattled off seven straight points behind two kills from Fan to take a 19-16 lead.

Misericordia cut the lead down to 24-23 after a Young winner and a block from Kozak and Gannon DeFrain.

Akoto buried his ninth kill of the match to clinch the sweep for the Brewers.

For The Brewers
Zheng recorded a team-high 12 kills along with Fan registering 10 kills and 10 digs.

Akoto tallied nine kills (.563), two aces and three blocks while Desai added six kills, an ace and a block.

Birnbaum supplied five winners and 10 digs along with first year Henry Bonney securing five kills.

Sophomore Parker Schoenl handed out 22 assists and lifted five digs along with senior Payne Lounsbery adding 13 assists and three digs.

Sophomore Tucker Shearn lifted seven digs at libero.

For The Cougars
Piontkowski registered a match-high 13 kills (.324), two blocks and seven digs while DePalma tallied 10 kills, two aces, three blocks and seven digs.

Young chipped in seven kills and six digs along with Kozak recording four kills and two blocks.

DeFrain finished with 29 assists, two blocks and 10 digs while Jackson Fehnel lifted a match-high 11 digs.