#3 Men’s Volleyball Punches Ticket to GNAC Championship, Bests Emmanuel

BOSTON, Mass. – In the GNAC semifinals Thursday night, the top-seeded Wentworth Institute of Technology men's volleyball team (29-1) cruised past the fourth-seeded Emmanuel Saints (17-10) in straight sets, led by a match-high 14 kills by senior Jacob LaBouliere (Pipersville, Pa.).

The triumph gives the Black & Gold their seventh straight berth in the GNAC championship with the Leopards seeking their third straight championship win.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• A kill by LaBouliere gave the Leopards a 5-3 advantage in the first set before a finish by sophomore Nicolai Bell (Moraga, Calif.) pushed the lead to 9-7. A kill by junior Sam Etter (Massillon, Ohio) continued the lead to 16-13 before a finish by graduate student Brandon Dunz (Lake View, N.Y.) marked a 22-17 lead. A finish by senior Jacob Waga (East Northport, N.Y.) clinched a 25-18 set win.
• The Saints climbed to an 8-4 lead in the second set before continuing it to 10-6. The Leopards then rattled off seven of the next nine points, taking a 13-12 edge, before kills by Dunz and LaBouliere helped push the lead to 21-14. A kill by LaBouliere capped a 25-17 set win.
• A kill by Waga marked a 6-4 for lead for Wentworth before a kill by Bell continued the advantage to 10-5. A slew of kills continued the advantage to 16-9. Two kills by LaBouliere and another by Bell helped extend the lead to a 21-14 score before a kill by Etter helped the Black & Gold to a 25-16 set win.

SERIES NOTES:

• The Black & Gold have grabbed the last 14 matchups between the two teams.

NEXT UP:

• The Leopards will host third-seeded Rivier in the GNAC Championship Saturday at noon.

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