Bears Volleyball Drops Hard-Fought Conference Match to Sarah Lawrence

BRONXVILLE, N.Y. – In a match that featured 46 ties and 19 lead changes and two sets decided by two points, the St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) men's volleyball team dropped a 3-1 (25-21, 28-26, 18-25, 25-23) decision to Sarah Lawrence College on Friday night in Hudson Valley Men's Athletic Conference action at the Campbell Athletic Center.

The Bears (0-3, 0-2 HVMAC) remained winless while the Gryphons (1-6, 1-1 HVMAC) notch their victory of the season.

Sophomore Raul Urshela (Orlando, FL/Colonial) and senior Martin Torres (Ozone Park, NY/St. Francis Prep) paced the Bears attack, putting away 13 kills apiece. Urshela falling just shy of a double-double with nine digs and also stuffing a match-high five blocks. Junior Iqbal Husain (West Palm Beach, FL/Palm Beach Gardens) dished out four assists and freshman Taso Kostikas (Brooklyn, NY/Midwood) anchored the defense with 13 digs.

Two-time reigning HVMAC Player of the Week Harrison Holmes led Sarah Lawrence with a match-high 19 kills. Chris Manfugas brought up 19 digs and served five aces, both match highs. Brent Terry handed out 42 assists.

The Gryphons used a 4-0 run to break a 14-all tie in the opening set and held off the Bears for the 25-21 set victory.

St. Joseph's nearly drew even in the match in the second frame, the most contested set of the match with 21 ties and eight lead changes and neither squad able to build more than a two-point advantage. But with the set moving into extra points, the Gryphons received a timely block and a service ace to squeak out the victory.

The Bears took control of the third set hitting a match-best .321 for the frame, putting away 11 kills against only two errors, led by Urshela who had five kills on six swings. After building as large as a four-point lead midway through the frame, St. Joseph's clung to a 18-17 advantage before winning seven of the last eight points to start their comeback bid.

The Bears used that momentum to win the first five points of the fourth set, but the Gryphons would soon draw even at 7-all and both teams would battle until the end, neither team leading by more than three points in the set. After a Torres kill and a Gryphon error leveled the set at 23-all and two points from a deciding set, a timely kill from Holmes followed up with an assisted block, clinched the victory for Sarah Lawrence.

St. Joseph's tri-match at Medgar Evers scheduled for Sunday has been postponed. The Bears will return to the court for a tri-match on Saturday, February 23 at Brooklyn College with Albertus Magnus College starting at noon.