United Volleyball Conference Vassar Athletic Communications

No. 11 Vassar's Comeback Bid Falls Just Short At No. 1 Springfield

SPRINGFIELD, MA - The No. 11 Vassar College Men's Volleyball team's reverse sweep comeback bid fell just short on Saturday evening against No. 1 Springfield as the Brewers fell 19-25, 23-25, 25-16, 25-21, 14-16 to the Pride on the road at Blake Arena. The Brewers record drops to 3-3 overall on the season while Springfield improves to 4-1 overall.

First Set
  • Vassar earned an early 5-2 lead following two kills and an ace from junior Walter Birnbaum.
  • Springfield battled back to take a 10-8 lead on two kills from Carter Durivage an ace from Evan Costley and a kill each from Dylan Mulvaney and AJ Seveland.
  • A winner from sophomore Henry Bonney cut the lead to 14-13 until the Pride expanded the lead to 19-15 on a block from Brennan Cutter and Durivage.
  • VC got back within three on a Birnbaum winner before the Pride took the first set on winners from Will Kirchhoff, Costley and Mulvaney along with a block from Seveland and Cutter.
Second Set
  • Springfield raced out to a 7-1 lead to begin the set, led by two kills from Seveland and a winner each from Durivage and Costley.
  • Vassar rallied to cut the advantage to 9-8 after three kills and a block from junior Armaan Desai and a kill and an ace from sophomore Petar Miocinovic.
  • Following a kill from Cutter to go ahead 11-8, Vassar battled to take a 13-12 lead behind a winner each from Birnbaum and Desai.
  • The Brewers kept its lead at 18-17 on a block from Birnbaum before the Pride regained the advantage on three straight kills from Nathan Goh at 20-19.
  • Sophomore Stuart Dow's kill tied the set at 20 until two kills from Seveland and one winner from Costley spurred Springfield to a second set victory.
Third Set
  • The Brewers scored the first five points of the set on two kills and two blocks from Desai along with a kill from Bonney.
  • VC's lead ballooned to 13-4 after two aces from Dow, two kills from Bonney and a kill from Desai.
  • Springfield trimmed the lea to 14-11 after two kills from Seveland, a winner from Kirchhoff and a block from Dyllan Nguyen and Cutter.
  • A 5-0 run behind two Desai aces, a kill from Birnbaum and a block from Dow and Birnbaum expanded the advantage to 20-12.
  • Vassar used kills from Bonney, Desai and Birnbaum along with a set-clinching ace from Bonney to extend the match to the fourth set.
Fourth Set
  • Vassar pulled ahead 7-5 on an ace from senior James Zuckerman before two more Bonney kills extended the lead to 11-9.
  • The Pride scored the next three points, led by an ace and a kill from Goh, to take a 12-11 lead.
  • VC responded with four straight points behind a kill and an ace from Birnbaum along with blocks from Miocinovic, Dow and Bonney.
  • The set was evened at 15 on an ace from Kirchhoff as the two teams traded points before Goh's kill pushed the Pride in front 19-18.
  • Back-to-back kills from Birnbaum and Dow regained the lead for Vassar at 21-19.
  • Springfield got within 22-21 before a Bonney kill and a Birnbaum ace sent the match to a deciding fifth set.
Fifth Set
  • Neither team pulled ahead by more than a point until Springfield used a kill from Goh and a Seveland ace to take a 7-5 lead.
  • VC evened the set at seven on a Birnbaum winner before gaining a 9-8 lead on a Springfield error.
  • The Pride pulled ahead 11-10 before three kills from Bonney evened the set at 13 all.
  • Seveland's winner put Springfield on match point but a service error sent the match to 14-14.
  • Springfield clinched the five-set victory after two VC errors.
For The Brewers
  • Bonney buried a career-high 21 kills (.488) along with two blocks (one solo), an ace and four digs.
  • Birnbaum garnered 14 kills (.400), four aces, two blocks (one solo) and 10 digs while Desai tallied 10 kills, two aces, three digs and six blocks (three solo).
  • Dow chipped in four kills, two aces and two blocks along with Miocinovic recording three kills and 10 digs.
  • Junior Parker Schoenl registered a career-high 46 assists, two kills and six digs while senior Casey McMenamin lifted six digs.
For The Pride
  • Seveland tallied a team-high 17 kills (.350), three aces and 11 digs while Goh posted nine kills and four digs.
  • Costley added seven kills and three digs along with Kirchhoff recording five kills and two aces.
  • Durivage chipped in five kills and four digs while Mulvaney registered 35 assists, three kills and seven digs.
  • Cutter totaled three winners, three blocks and two digs.
Up Next
  • Vassar will host a tri-match next weekend against #2 Carthage and Widener with the first match beginning at 12:00 p.m. at Kenyon Hall.