#1 Men's Volleyball Battles Past Endicott, #13 New Paltz to Open Fenway Classic

BOSTON, Mass. – The No. 1 Wenworth Institute of Technology men's volleyball team (4-0) continued their historic start to 2024 into Saturday, sweeping the Endicott Gulls (2-1) before rallying past No. 13 SUNY New Paltz (1-2) in a four-set thriller on the first day of co-hosting the Fenway Volleyball Classic.

MATCH ONE: WENTWORTH 3, ENDICOTT 0

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• After a kill by senior Jacob Waga (East Northport, N.Y.) put Wentworth ahead 1-0 in the first set, Endicott took a 4-2 lead before another Waga kill cut the deficit to 4-3. The two teams traded points, with Wentworth taking an 11-9 lead, before five straight points, thanks to kills by Waga, senior Jacob LaBouliere (Pipersville, Pa.), and freshman Conner Foxwell (Harrisburg, Pa.) marked a 16-10 score. The Leopards never looked back, as a kill by sophomore Nicolai Bell (Moraga, Calif.) later clinched a 25-16 set win.
• A kill by LaBouliere helped Wentworth off to a 4-0 advantage in the second set before the Gulls clawed back to take a 5-4 lead. Later, Wentworth took a 9-7 lead and extended it thanks to kills by Waga and Foxwell to mark a 12-7 lead. Kills by LaBouliere and junior Sam Etter (Massillon, Ohio) helped push the lead to 15-9 before the Gulls fought back to a 19-17 deficit. A kill by Waga kickstarted four straight points for Wentworth, marking a 23-17 score, before the hosts grabbed a 25-19 set win.
• The two teams swapped scores for the early going of the third set, marking an 8-8 tie, before kills by LaBouliere and Bell gave the Leopards a 10-8 lead. Endicott stuck close, keeping it to a 17-16 deficit, before kills by LaBouliere and junior Ryan Roller (West Hartford, Conn.) helped the hosts to a 20-16 lead. Kills by Roller and Waga, as well as a service ace by senior Tyler Jack (San Jose, Calif.) pushed the Leopards to a 25-20 set win and 3-0 match win.

SERIES NOTES:

• The Leopards have won nine of the last 12 matchups between the two teams.

MATCH TWO: WENTWORTH 3, NEW PALTZ 1

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• A kill by LaBouliere gave Wentworth a 2-1 edge in the first set before the Hawks took a 5-2 advantage. Wentworth came back, eventually taking an 11-9 lead, before a kill by Waga eventually pushed the lead to 14-12. Behind 17-15, a kill by Etter closed the gap to one, and the Leopards eventually took a 22-18 lead capped by a LaBouliere kill. However, the Hawks battled back, taking a narrow 25-23 set win and 1-0 match lead.
• Kills by LaBouliere and Foxwell helped Wentworth to a 5-3 lead in the second set before, ahead 8-6, two service aces by graduate student Brandon Dunz (Lake View, N.Y.) capped a 5-0 run for Wentworth, marking a 13-6 score. A kill by Foxwell later pushed the lead to 18-11 before kills by Roller, Etter, and Waga paced Wentworth to a 25-16 set win.
• New Paltz jumped out to a 3-0 lead to start the third set before the Leopards roared back to take a 5-4 lead. Kills by Etter and Roller pushed the lead to 8-5 before two more by the duo continued the advantage to 13-9. Another kill by Roller helped the lead to 17-11 before another marked a 20-14 score. Errors combined with a kill by Etter and service ace by Waga helped Wentworth to a 25-19 set win and 2-1 match edge.
• A kill by Foxwell helped the Leopards to a 3-1 lead in the fourth set before a kill by junior Josh Milke (Eastampton, N.J.) marked a 6-4 lead. A kill by Etter later pushed the lead to 10-7 before the Hawks climbed back to knot the score at 10-10. The two teams traded scores, working the set to a 21-21 draw, before kills by Roller and Foxwell helped the Leopards take a 23-21 advantage. A kill by Foxwell clinched a 25-22 set win and a 3-1 comeback win for Wentworth.

SERIES NOTES:

• Today marked the fifth all-time meeting between the two teams and the first-ever win over the Hawks for the Black & Gold.

NEXT UP:

• Wentworth plays Baruch and Nichols tomorrow.

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