RIVERDALE, NY – The Manhattan Jaspers' Men's Volleyball program (8-12, 5-2 NEC) fell heartbreakingly to the Sharks of LIU (10-11, 2-3 NEC) in five sets (25-19, 23-25, 25-22, 22-25, 7-15) inside Draddy Gymnasium on Friday evening.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Before the start of the match, the Jaspers honored its lone senior in graduate libero Utpal Chand, who transferred from the Sharks program last season.
- In the first set tied at six, the Green and White built some momentum with three straight points, combined from Max Larcheid and Kai Patchell.
- After the Jaspers pulled away with a three-run advantage, LIU bounced back with a pair of its own, before the Green and White went on a 4-0 run with three different Jaspers making their mark and widening the advantage to five.
- Both teams traded points down the stretch, before two Sharks miscues allowed Manhattan to post a seven-point lead, before Nowak and Jovan Marjanovic combined for the final point to capture the first set.
- The Jaspers opened the second set with ease, having clinched six of the first nine points played.
- The duo continued to exchange points and hold a three-point lead before Manhattan's length gave the Sharks some issues, propelled by Larchied and Nowak's block to give the Jaspers a four-point lead to an eventual five-point edge.
- The Sharks responded by rattling off four straight points before pulling away down the stretch with three consecutive points to take the second set and split at one.
- In the third set with the Jaspers ahead 8-7, the Green and White put together back-to-back points off a pair of LIU miscues.
- Down the stretch of the third set, Nowak and the Jaspers connected on three straight kills and a Shark error to stretch their lead from just one to five 24-19, before Blonski put the set away with a back corner termination.
- The fourth set featured another tie at seven, before the Sharks attempted their separation from the Jaspers, but wouldn't be able to do so handily.
- Manhattan's deficit was at three with the score at 20-17, before Kai Patchell sent a kill directly toward the LIU bench to capture a bit of momentum, but they were unable to finish, and were forced to decide their fate in the fifth set.
- In the fifth set, the wheels began falling off for the Jaspers with their deficit at as much as nine with eight match points, before Kai Patchell's service eight brought the deficit back to seven. It was ultimately not enough, as LIU served out the final point successfully.
STATS AND NOTES
- Wojtek Nowak posted 13 kills on 23 attempts for a team-high .478 hitting percentage, with two set assists, one service ace, three blocks, and eight digs for 15.5 points on the night.
- Kai Patchell registered 13 kills on 34 attempts with four set assists, two service aces, one block, and six digs for an additional 15.5 points on the night for the Green and White.
- Kasen Owens nearly logged a double-double with nine kills on 25 attempts, two blocks, and nine digs for 10.5 points.
- Max Larcheid added seven kills on 21 attempts, with one service ace, one set assist, two blocks, and three digs for nine points.
- Freshman setter Drew Blonski recorded 41 set assists, with three kills on four attempts, and five digs for three points.
- Manhattan won the battle from the service line with four aces, compared to LIU's two.
NEXT UP:
The Jaspers return to action tomorrow, Saturday, March 28, when the Green and White visit the Steinberg Wellness Center in Brooklyn for the return game of the home-and-home against the Sharks of LIU, beginning at 1 p.m. The match can be viewed for free on NECFrontRow.com.
Follow Manhattan Men's Volleyball on X and Instagram (@ManhattanMVBall).
