#10 Men's Volleyball Closes Fenway Volleyball Classic Besting #20 Misericordia, Baruch

BOSTON, Mass. –  The No. 10-ranked Wentworth Institute of Technology (6-1) men's volleyball team bested the No. 20-ranked Misericordia Cougars (7-5) and the Baruch Bearcats (0-4) in a total of seven sets on the second day of the Fenway Volleyball Classic tournament on Sunday.

Alongside a balanced attack on offense, the Black & Gold combined for 17 blocks through the two non-conference contests.

Following the two wins, Mekhi Burns was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player while Josh Milke and Brayden Green each earned All-Tournament team honors.

MATCH ONE: #10 WENTWORTH 3, #20 MISERICORDIA 1

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• The Cougars set out to a 3-1 lead in the first set before a finish by Benjamin Moughon stopped the run at 3-2. Misericordia held the lead to 12-11 before a Jacob Waga kill knotted the score at 12-aside. The two teams swapped scores for much of the meat of the set, with kills by Waga, Nicolai Bell, and Alem Dubcak helping gain one-point leads. Behind 24-23, a finish by Dubcak tied the set before Misericordia took another one-point lead. However, three straight errors earned the Leopards a 27-25 set win.
• Finishes by Milke and Andrew Ahn helped Wentworth out to a 5-1 advantage in the second set before two kills from Dubcak marked a 9-4 lead. Two straight finishes from Moughon pushed the lead to 14-9 before two kills from Ahn and others by Bell, Waga, and Gabe Tucker extended the lead to 23-10. Wentworth would hold on for a 25-12 win.
• After being tied 6-6 in the third set, the Cougars set away with a 9-6 lead before pushing it to 15-11 later on. Five straight points carried the advantage to 20-14 and despite finishes from Bell and Ahn to help cut the deficit, Misericordia would fend off the Black & Gold for a 25-19 set win.
• The two teams traded scores for the early portion of the fourth set, with the Leopards gaining a 12-11 edge on kills from Ahn and Mason Andrade. Finishes from Bell and Ahn would later separate Wentworth at an 18-15 lead before a Waga kill helped extend the advantage to 21-16. A finish from Dubcak helped clinch a 25-18 set win for the Leopards.

SERIES NOTES:

• Wentworth is 3-0 all-time against Misericordia.

MATCH TWO: #10 WENTWORTH 3, BARUCH 0

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Four finishes from Ian Babcock helped the Leopards set out to an 8-1 lead in the opening frame before a kill and ace by Ryan Roller extended the advantage to 15-6. Another kill by Roller marked a 20-11 lead before two kills from Babcock sandwiching an additional by Roller propelled the Leopards to a 25-14 set win.
• A kill by Alek Reymond helped Wentworth out to an 8-2 lead in the second set before another by Reymond pushed the advantage to 11-5. Kills by Reymond, Babcock, and Moughon continued the lead to 17-11 before Tucker and Moughon snagged kills to help the Leopards take a 25-15 set.
• After Wentworth owned a 5-4 edge in the third set, the Leopards rattled off eight straight points to stretch their lead to 13-4. A finish by Roller later helped in another run that set Wentworth's advantage at 20-7 before, after a battle back by the Bearcats, the Leopards grabbed a 25-14 set win.
  

SERIES NOTES:

• Winners of four straight, the Leopards lead the all-time series, 8-5.

NEXT UP:

• The Black & Gold open conference play Saturday against Emerson.

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