Bears Rise Past Albertus Magnus for First Win of Season
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Albertus Magnus (0-11) | 20 | 21 | 26 | 0 |
|
St. Joseph's (Bklyn) (1-1) | 30 | 30 | 30 | 3 |
BROOKLYN, NY – In their second varsity campaign, the St. Joseph's College men's volleyball team notched their first win of the season, defeating the Albertus Magnus College Falcons in straight sets (30-20, 30-21, 30-26) in their home opener on Friday night.
Newcomers sophomore Anthony Grasso (Jackson Heights, NY/St. John's Prep) and freshman Martin Torres (Ozone Park, NY/St. Francis Prep) led the attack with eight kills each. Senior Ed Han (McLean, VA/W.T. Woodson) dished out 20 assists and served up seven aces, both game highs. Maciej Sadowski (Brooklyn, NY/Cathedral Prep) added six kills, Mike Modugno (Astoria, NY/St. John's Prep) led the defense with six digs and five kills and Muhammad Ali Bhatti (Brooklyn, NY/James Madison) had five digs and three kills.
Kevin Tierney led Albertus Magnus (0-11) recording a game-high 17 digs and 12 kills. Joe Santiago had 11 assists and Alvin Davis had six kills.
In the opening set, St. Joseph's held a slim lead building no more than a three point advantage. The Bears closed out the set on a 12-3 run with Modugno and Grasso combining for five kills. The second set played similar to the first set with the Bears breaking away building a 26-18 lead behind Sadowski serving for five straight points.
The final set saw longer rallies and the Falcons threatened to steal a set from St. Joseph's, trailing by one late, 24-23. The Bears pulled away again late in the set with two straight kills from Torres helping the Bears find themselves two points away from their first victory of the season, 28-24. After a pair of side outs, St. Joseph's held five match points and Albertus committed their 22nd service error of the match to clinch the win for the Bears.
The victory is the second in the program's history and first ever in straight sets after finishing 1-18 in their inaugural varsity season.
St. Joseph's (1-1) returns to action on Wednesday, February 24 hosting Yeshiva University in a Hudson Valley Men's Athletic Conference match. Game time is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at Brooklyn Technical High School.