Box Score

The sixth-ranked New York University men's volleyball team remained perfect in United Volleyball Conference (UVC) play – and avenged one of its two losses on the season – in thrilling fashion, defeating #10 Vassar College in five sets on Wednesday, February 22, at the Coles Sports Center in Manhattan.
 
The Violets (10-2, 6-0) rallied from a 2-1 deficit to beat the Brewers (4-5, 2-4), dominating both the fourth and fifth sets. Aided by stellar serving and strong play at the net, NYU took the fourth set 25-14 and the fifth 15-5.
 
Vassar earned a 25-19 victory in the first set and 25-21 in the third, while the Violets took the second set 25-19. The come-from-behind win came nearly a month after the Brewers swept NYU on their home court.
 
“The guys dug deep and were able to overcome a team that seems to match up well against us,” said head coach Jose Pina. “In games two, four and five, we were able to jump on them and overpower them. We're working on playing like that on a more consistent basis.”
 
Down two sets to one, the Violets controlled the beginning of the fourth set. The squad jumped out to an 8-2 lead, with four of those points coming on kills by Pat Dodd. Dodd continued to dominate the set, recording seven of his match-best 19 kills in the game, as NYU cruised.
 
After taking a 4-2 lead in the fifth and final set, the Violets took over, winning 10 of the next 12 points. Dodd's aggressive serving was key, as the team won sixth straight points with him behind the line. NYU's blocking was also tremendous, with Taylor Fauntleroy and Nick Capriccio each recording solo blocks and Capriccio teaming up with Connor Mortland for another block.
 
Fauntleroy sealed the match with a kill, completing the rally and keeping the Violets as the lone unbeaten team in UVC play.
 
“Normally, teams don't serve as aggressively in game five,” commented Pina on the dominant fifth set. “We were really going for it and were way more aggressive than them. Any time you have eight aces and 17 service errors in a match, you're going to take that.
 
“If we can add that consistency to our play once the ball is served, we're going to be very tough to beat,” he noted.
 
Dodd added six digs and two service aces to his 19 kills. Fauntleroy finished with 16 kills, nine digs and three blocks, while Matthew MacDonald totaled 11 kills, six digs and five blocks. Mortland doled out 48 assists and had 10 digs, while Jay Hayes recorded a match-high 15 digs.
 
Charlie Caldwell led Vassar with 13 kills. Matt Elgin tallied 10 kills and six blocks, while Christian La Du notched 14 digs. John Konow recorded 38 assists and nine digs from the setter position.
 
NYU returns to action on Wednesday, Feb. 29, for a road UVC match at SUNY New Paltz. First serve is at 7:00 pm.