Men's Volleyball Falls to Stevens in Season Opener

Violets Drop Tight Four-Set Match to Ducks

Zolnowski recorded a career-high 29 kills against Stevens.

The New York University men's volleyball team fell in its 2009 season opener, three sets to one, to the Stevens Institute of Technology on Wednesday, Jan. 14, at the Coles Sports Center in Manhattan.

The Violets (0-1), ranked 5th in the Bison/AVCA Division III Top 15 Coaches Poll, stumbled coming out of the gate against the 8th-ranked Ducks (1-0), falling behind 10-6 early on. Stevens built its lead to seven at 18-11 before NYU put together a rally, pulling the deficit back to three at 29-26 off a kill from senior David Coll. However, a service error on the next point gave the Ducks the win 30-26.

In the second set NYU held the score close early on and eventually took the lead 14-12 on consecutive kills by Coll. After a Stevens timeout, the Violets continued to hold the lead through 18-17. However, two consecutive NYU errors and a Stevens kill gave the Ducks the lead at 19-18. NYU managed to tie the score again at 24 off a kill from junior Michael Ferragonio, but that was as close as the team got as Stevens took six of the final nine points to take the set 30-27.

The third set saw the Violets jump out to a small 10-7 lead early on off of a combined six kills from Coll and senior captain Devin Zolnowski. However, the Ducks once again rallied, taking the lead at 15-14.

After a NYU timeout, the team fought back, tying the score again at 16. The two teams traded the next six points at which time Stevens appeared to take control of the set with a four-point run to give them a 23-19 lead. However, NYU once again fought its way back, taking seven of the next 10 points to tie the set at 26. The two teams continued to battle, seeing five more ties after that point. NYU finally broke the spell at 31-31 when Zolnowski and sophomore Francis Hodgson combined on a block to give the Violets a one-point lead. Hodgson then sealed the set for the Violets, 33-31, with a kill on the next play.

In the fourth set the two teams traded points up through an 11-11 tie. At that point, Stevens went on a run to build a 17-13 lead. The two teams then returned to trading points as the Violets attempted to fight its way back. Eventually NYU brought the score to within two at 26-24 off of a Hodgson kill. However, that would be as close as the Violets would come as two late attack errors doomed them to a 30-26 loss.

On offense, the Violets saw three players set career highs. Zolnowski recorded 29 kills, eclipsing his previous high of 25 from last year, while hitting .370 with four digs and three blocks.

Coll also set a career-high in kills as he put down 17, surpassing his previous mark of 13 from last year as well, while also hitting a team-high .464.

Senior setter Ilan Goldstein was the third Violet to set a career-high as he put up 64 assists, tying him for sixth-most all-time during the rally-scoring era.

On defense, freshman Jay Hayes got his career at NYU off to a quick start as he put up 15 digs.

For the Ducks, senior Joe Trinsey put down 20 kills while senior Tomas Bochicchio recorded 10 digs.

The Violets return to action tomorrow evening when they travel to Fairfax, VA, to face George Mason University. The Patriots are currently ranked 15th in the Bison/AVCA Division I-II Coaches Poll.