Men's Volleyball Looks To Keep HVIAC Regular Season Title in Sights With Pivotal Matchup at Yeshiva

BROOKLYN, N.Y. – The St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) men's volleyball team (8-8, 2-2) heads to Max Stern Gymnasium, site of the 2015 HVIAC Tournament, to square off against defending champion Yeshiva (6-17, 3-2), looking to avenge their five-set defeat two weeks ago and remain in the hunt for the regular season title in a wide open HVIAC race.

Game Information

Opponent: Yeshiva University (6-17, 3-2 HVIAC)
Date/Time: Tuesday, March 31 • 8 p.m.

Location: New York, N.Y.

Arena: Max Stern Athletic Center
Coverage: Live Stats

Quick Links

St. Joseph's (Bklyn): Roster | Schedule | Statistics
Yeshiva: Roster | Schedule | Statistics

HVIAC: Standings | Statistics

What's at Stake

HVIAC Standings
T-1. Yeshiva (3-2)
T-1. Pratt (3-2)
3. St. Joseph's (2-2)
4. Webb (1-2) 

Series History

This is the 16th meeting all-time with Yeshiva -- the Bears' most faced opponent tied with Webb -- with the Macs winning all 15 previous encounters. The Maccabees and Bears met in last year's HVIAC title game, with Yeshiva capturing their second straight and third league title.

Both teams are playing their final seasons in the HVIAC, but the Bears and Maccabees will continue their long-standing rivalry in the Skyline Conference next season.

Last Meeting

Two weeks ago, in a highly contested battle with 37 ties and 19 lead changes, the Bears looked poised to win their first match over the Maccabees, taking a 2-1 set lead at The Hill Center, but couldn't hold off the Maccabees falling in five sets, 25-21, 22-25, 23-25, 25-21, 15-13.

Four Bears finished with double-doubles in defeat: Raul Urshela (20 kills, 11 digs, 4 blocks),  Thomas Kennedy (13 kills, 14 digs), Taso Kostikas (12 kills, 17 digs.) and Norrin Martinez (39 assists, 10 digs).

The Bear Facts

• The Bears look to snap a three-game skid coming off a 3-1 loss to Pratt last Thursday.
• A win today would also set a new program record for wins in a season, currently matching the mark of eight wins set last season.
• None of the four Bears' conference games have been decided in three sets and three have gone to a deciding fifth set.
• Senior and three-time HVIAC Player of the Week Raul Urshela is the center of the Bears' attack pounding 3.34 kills per game, hitting at a .224 clip, both marks second in the HVIAC.
• Juniors Taso Kostikas and Thomas Kennedy round out the attack sitting third and fourth in the conference with 2.30 and 2.21 kills per set, respectively.
• Junior Norrin Martinez distributes 6.49 assists per set and lands 0.74 service aces per set, both tops in the HVIAC.

Inside the Mac Attack

• Since defeating the Bears on March 17, the Maccabees have dropped seven straight matches and enter off a straight-set defeat vs. Ramapo at home last night.
• In the stretch of seven losses, Yeshiva dropped a straight-set decision at Webb last Thursday, leaving the HVIAC up for grabs.
• In the earlier meeting with the Bears, three-time HVIAC Rookie of the Week Tuvia Marks led Yeshiva with 16 kills hitting at a .519 clip, also stuffing four blocks. Benjamin Mann contributed 12 kills and Eliakim Gartenberg chipped in 10 kills.
• Mann leads the team with 1.86 kills per set while Kolya Miller and Marks both follow with 1.69 kills per set. Joseph Lipton ranks third in the HVIAC with 2.95 digs per set.

Next Up for the Bears - Sarah Lawrence

The Bears have two final regular season games before the HVIAC Tournament. St. Joseph's returns to action this Thursday, April 2 against former HVIAC foe and future Skyline Conference rival Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, N.Y. First serve is at 7 p.m. with live stats and video on SJCBears.com