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MEN'S VOLLEYBALL DROPS SEVENTH GNAC BID TO LIONS
The Mount Ida College men's volleyball team dropped their seventh Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) contest in Boston, Massachusetts Tuesday night against hosting Emerson College 3-1 by scores of 30-22, 30-28, 21-30, and 30-28. The Mustangs fall to 7-11 overall, 2-7 in league play while the Lions improve to 3-8 and capture their second GNAC victory of the year at 2-5.
Emerson came from 17-21 down in the first game. The Lions ran off seven straight points beginning with a mustang service error and ending with a pair of Frank O'Sullivan (Montreal, Quebec) kills. Following a Mustang time out, a successful block by McCoy Arnoux (Brockton, MA/Brockton) broke the string, but the Lions then ran off the final six points of the match on two O'Sullivan kills, a service ace by Eric Doherty (Millis, MA), a net violation by Mount Ida, a kill by Jeff Ackerstein (Newton, MA), and a block by Garret Mercer (Arlington, VA).
Game two was close throughout with neither team able to mount more than a three point lead. There were 15 ties and 13 lead changes. The Lions again rallied at the end of the match. At 26-27 an attack by O'Sullivan tied the match. Emerson took a 29-28 lead on an Ackerstein kill and closed the game with a Mount Ida attack error.
The third game was controlled by Mount Ida from the mid-point on when the Mustangs broke away from a 13-13 tie with an 8-1 run. Emerson helped fuel the run with two attack errors, two net violations, and a service error. The Lions twice pulled to within four, but were not able to get any closer.
In the deciding game, Emerson led 26-20 before Mount Ida staged a rally. A kill by Spencer Hastings (Orlando, FL/Timber Creak) was answered by a kill by Emerson's Bay Scoggin (Dallas, TX). Ross Florexil (Lake Worth, FL/Lake Worth) then banged home two attacks for the Mustangs to make the score 27-23. A Steve Selnick (Cheshire, CT) kill restored a five point lead for the Lions, but two attack errors opened the door for Mount Ida to reach within 28-25. A block by Thomas Belton (Springfield, MA/Springfield Central) reduced the deficit to two points and forced Emerson into a time out. Coming out of the break Doherty drove home an attack for a 29-26 Emerson advantage. Mount Ida refused to quit with successive kills by Belton and Franklin McCaffrey (East Greenwich, RI/East Greenwich). The Mustangs then couldn't control the return of service and knocked the ball out of bounds to give the Lions the win.
The Mustangs were led by Belton with a team high 22 kills and four solo blocks while Hastings added 14 kills and four service aces. Senior libero Shane Wilson (Gloucester, MA/Gloucester) chipped in 15 digs with freshman setter Eddie Pinero (Inwood, NY/Lawrence) dishing out 40 assists.
Mount Ida will host Lesley University Thursday night at 7:00pm in a make-up non-conference match.
