MEN'S VOLLEYBALL CLIPS FALCONS IN 3-0 SHUTOUT

The Mount Ida College men's volleyball team notched their third consecutive victory beating visiting Albertus Magnus College 3-0 (30-12, 30-10, 30-17) this Sunday afternoon in Newton, Massachusetts.  It was the hosts' second successive Northeast Collegiate Volleyball Association (NECVA) win in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) division.  The Mustangs improve to and even .500 at 3-3 and 2-1 in the GNAC division.  The Falcons stay winless at 0-5 overall and 0-5 in the division. 

The Mustangs opened up game one on a 3-0 run off two kills and a service ace by senior Bryan McMenanmin (Warminster, PA/William Tennent).  The Falcons pulled within one point at 5-6 after a service ace of their own.  The visitors only managed to score seven more points for the rest of the first game while the Mustangs went on an offensive tare.  McMenamin, sophomore Thomas Belton (Springfield, MA/Springfield Central), and freshman McCoy Arnoux (Brockton, MA/Brockton) did the majority of the scoring combining for nine kills.  The hosts cruised to a 30-12 game one victory leading the match 1-0. 

Game two was dominated by the Mustangs jumping out to a 12-4 lead on a Franklin McCaffrey (East Greenwich, RI/East Greenwich) service ace.  Most of this game was littered with Falcon errors putting up most of the points for the hosts.  Mount Ida powered a 7-0 run to pull ahead by 19 up 25-6 after another ace by setter Gary Alvarez (Springfield, MA/Springfield).  The Mustangs eventually captured game two capped off on a Belton kill winning 30-10.  Mount Ida held the 2-0 match advantage going into the third set.

It was all but over at this point while Mount Ida took command early up 12-6 after an Arnoux service ace.  The Mustangs powered an 8-2 run after a Belton kill to pull ahead 20-8.  Freshman Geoff Carlson (Falls Village, CT/Housatonic Valley) hammered a kill, his first of the season, to give the Mustangs the 23-10 advantage. Mount Ida eventually took home the game three win (30-17) and the 3-0 match victory, their third of the season. 

The Mustangs were led by Belton and McMenamin who chipped in 11 kills a piece and combined for 11 digs.  Arnoux notched 10 kills and an impressive six service aces while Alvarez tallied one kill and 36 assists.  Junior Shane Wilson (Gloucester, MA/Gloucester) added two kills and 14 digs.

The Falcons where led by freshman Greg Bibina (Oxford, CT/Masuk) with six kills and senior Ryan Mihalyak (West Haven, CT/West Haven) notched nine assists.

The Mustangs will travel to Providence, Rhode Island to face GNAC division foe Johnson & Wales University this coming Wednesday starting at 7:00 p.m.