Men's Volleyball Knocks off Emerson in Straight Sets

BOSTON, Mass. – The Wentworth Institute of Technology men's volleyball team hit .507 in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference sweep against Emerson College on Thursday evening inside Tansey Gym. 

The Leopards remain undefeated against league opponents at 5-0 and improve to 8-4 overall. 

Wentworth's strong hitting ranks in the top-10 all-time in program history, as the Leopards defeated the Lions by set scores of 25-10, 25-14, and 25-21. The Black & Gold raced to a hot start, hitting a match-high .667 with just a single error in the first set, and used a 10-2 run for an early 12-4 lead. A kill from junior Ryan Love (Gaithersburg, Md.) put Wentworth up double-digits 20-10, before 5-0 run closed the opening set 25-10.

A .579 attack percentage carried Wentworth in the second frame, as the Leopards grabbed an early double-digit lead, 17-7 following a bad set from Emerson. The Lions turned a 5-2 run of their own, paced by two kills from Win Kittivacharapong, but Wentworth fired back scoring the final six of eight points, taking set two with ease.

Emerson had its best offensive showing in the last set hitting a team-best .292 and chased the Leopards throughout the frame. The Lions stayed on Wentworth's heels and pulled as close as two points, 15-17, following a Wentworth miscue from the service line. A kill apiece from senior Brian Drouse (Dallas, Pa.) and junior Xhuljo Zyba (Holbrook, Mass.) alongside an ace from Love put the gap at five, 20-15, only to be answered from a 5-3 run by Emerson. After an Emerson kill from Mark Piorkowski, the Lions trailed by just three, but Love and sophomore Garrett Vermeulen (Fairport, N.Y.) sealed the 25-21 set victory.

Love hit a season-high .529 and led all players with 11 kills and an ace for 12 points, and also registered nine digs. Classmate Ryan Engel (Floral Park, N.Y.) put down eight kills and hit .583, while sophomore Sean Spencer (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.) hit a match-best .667 with seven kills. Zyba paced the Leopards on the blocks with five total (4A, 1S), while freshman Connor Adams (Budd Lake, N.J.) dished out a season-high 34 assists.

Piorkowski led the Lion attack with eight kills and two assisted blocks for nine points.  

Wentworth will hit the road to New York next weekend, playing four matches against Juniata, St. Joseph's (L.I.), Mt. St. Vincent, and SUNY Poly.  

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