BROOKLYN, N.Y. — The St. Joseph's University, N.Y. – Brooklyn men's volleyball team bounced back from their season-opening loss to defeat the City College of New York, 3-0 (25-20, 25-22, 25-22) on Thursday evening from The Hill Center.
How it Happened
The first set was closely contested as both teams traded points and errors. Jeremias Martinez (Elmhurst, N.Y.) and Frank Rivera (Astoria, N.Y.) combined for 10 kills in the frame. Despite CCNY's efforts to regroup, St. Joseph's pulled ahead in the later stages, ultimately winning the set 25-20.
The second stanza saw 13 ties and five lead changes. It also featured multiple service aces, specifically from Rivera and Gianfranco Guarraci (Elizabeth, N.J.), which further helped establish a lead before coming out on top in the set, 25-22.
In the third set, the Bears quickly built a dominant lead behind kills from Martinez and Christopher Armstrong III (Buffalo, N.Y.) and an ace from Matthew Cottone (Oakdale, N.Y.). The advantage further increased to 17-6. The Beavers made a late push, closing the gap to 24-22, but a Guarraci kill sealed the deal on the Bears' first triumph of the new season.
For the Bears
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Martinez registered a match-leading 15 kills on a .619 hitting percentage. He also brought up four digs.
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Rookie middle blocker Mark Belov (Brooklyn, N.Y.) finished with six kills.
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Rivera led the side with 11 digs to fo with six assists, five kills, and a pair of aces.
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Guarraci had three aces and five digs to go with his 27 assists.
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Armstrong and Matthew Kotsatos (Brooklyn, N.Y.) logged a combined seven kills.
Up Next
The Bears will see a few weeks away from the court before starting a stretch of six straight away matches. They visit Bryn Athyn College for a doubleheader starting at 5 pm on Monday, February 17.
