The New York University men's volleyball team, currently ranked #14 in the nation by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA), opened its two-match Midwest road trip by defeating Dominican University on Friday, January 20. in River Forest, IL.

The Violets (2-0), who will face Carthage College in Kenosha, WI, on Saturday, defeated the Stars (0-1) in straight sets 25-17, 25-17, 25-21.  

NYU used a 10-3 run in the first set to erase a 4-2 deficit and take the lead for good. The Violets expanded the lead to as many as eight points on several occasions.

In the second set, the Violets broke a 5-5 tie with a 6-0 run and held the lead for good. Dominican did pull within two points, 17-15, before NYU closed the set on an 8-2 streak.

The final set featured the Violets trailing by two, 19-17, before rallying for the next four points and holding the lead thew rest of the way.

"Dominican (ranked #13) is a very good, very talented team with lots of experience," said Head Coach Jose Pina. "It was very important to get a win against a top team. It reinforces to our young team that they can play at this level." 

Senior co-captain Nick Benson led the Violets with a match-high 11 kills.  

"Nick played very well tonight," Pina added. "He helps instill confidence with the younger players and demonstrates what it is to be a leader."   

HIGHLIGHTS:

- Neil Ferraro and Adam Lee chipped in with nine and eight kills, respectively.

- Derrick Chiu contributed a match-high 29 assists. He also had six kills, two blocks and posted an .857 hitting percentage.

- Connor Keowen led all players with seven digs.

The Violets match with #4-ranked Carthage on Saturday is set to begin at 3:00 pm central time.

"This will be another good test for us, a real measuring stick," Pina explained.