Men's Volleyball Sweeps Clinton Hill Rivals Pratt to Win Second Straight

BROOKLYN, N.Y. — Seniors Thomas Kennedy (Brooklyn, N.Y./St. Edmund Prep) and Clyde Delacruz (Brooklyn, N.Y./Frederick Douglas Academy II) combined for 30 kills as the St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) men's volleyball team smashed a program three-set record-tying 40 kills en route to their second consecutive victory, a 3-0 sweep over Clinton Hill rivals Pratt on Thursday night in non-conference play at The Hill Center.

The Basics

• Final Score: St. Joseph's 3, Pratt 0
• Set Scores: 25-22, 25-23, 25-23
• Records: St. Joseph's (4-11), Pratt (4-3)
• Date: March 10, 2016
• Location: Brooklyn, N.Y.
• Arena: The Hill Center

How it Happened

• St. Joseph's ripped 10 kills in a back-and-forth opening set that saw four lead changes and 14 ties. Trailing 22-20, the Bears rallied for five straight to steal the first set. Alec Smalley's kill made it set-point at 24-22 and an ensuing error clinched a 1-0 match lead.
• The Bears kept momentum with an early 14-11 advantage in the second set, but Pratt recorded six consecutive points powered by a pair of kills from Matthew Valentine. Two kills from Clyde Delacruz highlighted a three-point swing as St. Joseph's regained a 22-21 lead. Falling behind 23-22 and Pratt threatened to level the match but a Kennedy kill followed by two Cannoneer miscues put the Bears up 2-0 in sets.
• With a sweep on their minds, St. Joseph's led 9-4 to start the third set, but Pratt reeled the Bears back in again and secured a slight 18-17 advantage. Trailing 21-19, the Bears roared back with a 4-0 run and Kennedy capped off the sweep with the match-clinching kill.

For the Bears

• Thomas Kennedy led the Bear attack with 16 kills, one shy of his career-high. The senior narrowly missed his fourth double-double with nine digs.
• Clyde Delacruz notched 14 kills for the second consecutive game, also falling just one shy of his career mark. The senior committed just two errors on 24 swings for career-high .500 hitting percentage.
• Norrin Martinez contributed a 33-assist, 13-dig double-double, his first of the season. The 33 assists also set a matched an SJC three-set match record he held previously.
• Alec Smalley and Thomas Ambrosino chipped in eight digs apiece on defense.

For the Cannoneers

• David Cutler slammed a match-high 24 kills past the Bear defense, also adding 14 kills for the double-double.
• Brandon Ryan also compiled a double-double with a 25-assist, 10-dig performance.
• Will Wong and Andreas Haji-Georgi helped secure the defense with 12 and 11 digs respectively.

Inside the Box Score

• Two nights after recording a season-high 49 kills in a four-set affair, the Bears slammed 40 more while committing just 12 errors for a season-best .232 hitting percentage. The 40 kills matched a three-set match record set last season vs. Webb.
• Pratt tallied 32 kills en route to a .184 hitting rate.

The Bear Facts

• St. Joseph's notches their second consecutive victory, both non-conference meetings, for their longest winning streak of the season.
• The Bears even the all-time series at 2-2 against their Clinton Hill and former HVIAC rivals. The teams will square off again down Willougby Ave. on March 30 to complete the home-and-home series.

Next Up for St. Joseph's

The Bears will have more than a week of rest before returning to Skyline Conference action on Saturday, March 19, returning to Riverdale, N.Y. to face the College of Mount Saint Vincent at 1 p.m. and Purchase College at 3 p.m. Live stats will be available at SJCBears.com.