Box Score
One match after setting the NYU rally-scoring single-season kills record, senior captain Devin Zolnowski tallied a match-high 23 kills to set the NYU career rally-scoring kills record as the New York University men's volleyball team outlasted East Stroudsburg University in five sets on Thursday, April 2, at the Coles Sports Center in Manhattan.
The Violets (7-19, 3-3 EIVA Hay), currently ranked #9 in the Bison/AVCA Division III Men's Coaches Top 15 Poll, managed to stave off a late rally from the EIVA Hay Division rival Warriors (8-8, 1-5 EIVA Hay) to win the crucial divisional match-up 3-2 (27-30, 30-20, 30-20, 27-30, 15-12).
"It was a struggle to win this match," commented NYU head coach Jose Pina. "We were able to pull through it, though, and that makes it worth it. Now we get to live to fight another day."
In the first set, the two teams traded points before the Violets took their first three-point lead off a service ace from sophomore Fran Hodgson. NYU continued to hold the lead until a hitting error allowed the Warriors to tie it back up at 21-21.
For the next 11 points the teams went back-and-forth. After a kill by junior Michael Ferragonio tied the set at 27, the Violets missed a serve and got blocked twice as East Stroudsburg took the set 30-27.
In the second set, the Violets quickly righted the ship. After a 10-10 tie early on, NYU went on a 7-2 run including three blocks and two kills to force the Warriors to take a timeout at 17-12.
Coming out of the stoppage, the Violets kept pouring it on, taking four of the next five points and causing East Stroudsburg to use its second timeout at 21-13. However, by that point the Violets were coasting, as they went on to a 30-20 victory.
In the third set, NYU took an early 8-3 lead into the first Warriors' timeout. The Violets extended the advantage to 24-14 off a service ace from freshman Pat Dodd. NYU did not East Stroudsburg to come within eight the rest of the way, as a kill from Hodgson sealed the set 30-20.
By the middle of the fourth set, it appeared the Violets were on their way to a four-set victory. They had just scored five of the last seven points after an East Stroudsburg timeout, and a service ace from junior Braden Fujikawa had the Warriors on their heels. However, the visitors managed to pull together and rally back, taking eight of the next 10 points to tie the set at 26.
At that point the Violets were now reeling. An NYU attack error on the next point gave East Stroudsburg its first lead since 16-15 and the Violets were forced to call a timeout.
On the next point, Hodgson successfully completed a kill. However, that was the final point that the Violets recorded in that set, as two kills and a block from the Warriors gave them a 30-27 victory, forcing a do-or-die set five.
After trading the first six points to open the final set, the Violets regained the advantage by taking the next three to open a 6-3 lead off a Dodd kill. The two teams traded the next four points as NYU went into the side switch with an 8-5 lead.
An attack error on the next play by the Warriors led to their first timeout of the set. East Stroudsburg then played like a rejuvenated team, taking six of the next eight points to tie up the set at 11 and force NYU to talk it over.
The Warriors followed the timeout with a service error, giving NYU back the lead at 12-11. After giving up a set-tying kill, the Violets settled down and took over the set as kills from Zolnowski, senior David Coll and Dodd gave NYU the 15-12 win.
Along with his match-high 23 kills, Zolnowski also led the Violets on defense, putting up seven digs while also adding three blocks. He now has 1,449 kills for his career, surpassing Macnair Sillick's total of 1,442 on the rally-scoring career list. Zolnowski is now just 26 kills from tying Robert Schwarz's all-time record of 549 in a season.
Hodgson and Dodd were also in double-digits for NYU, as both tallied 10 kills, while Hodgson put back a team-high eight blocks and Dodd recorded a career-high five service aces.
Freshman Luke Hamlet also put together a strong performance at the net, notching eight kills and hitting .667 while adding seven blocks and four digs.
For the Warriors, senior Jon Daley put down 19 kills while sophomore Josh Hobson notched seven digs and 60 assists.
The win allows NYU to remain in the hunt for a spot in the EIVA playoffs. Currently standing in third place, the Violets need to win their final two EIVA Hay matches of the season and hope that Harvard University will lose their last two to secure the final postseason spot.
The Violets return to action this Saturday, April 4, when they travel to Springfield, MA, to take on Division III rival Springfield College at 7:00 pm.
