Men’s Volleyball Downs Lesley, 3-1

Box Score

CHICOPEE, Mass. – Elms College sophomore outside hitter Yonalvy Acosta (Holyoke, Mass.) blasted a match-high 22 kills and sophomore setter Mike Martin (Enfield, Conn.) dished out 50 assists to help the Blazers to a 3-1 (30-27, 30-28, 27-30, 30-19) victory over Lesley University in North East Collegiate Volleyball Association (NECVA) New England Division and New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) men’s volleyball action at Picknelly Arena.

With the win, Elms improves to 4-8 overall, 4-4 NECVA, 3-2 NECC. Lesley slides to 2-7 on the season, 2-4 NECVA, 2-3 NECC.

With Elms leading 2-0 in the match, the sides fought to 10 tie scores and a pair of lead changes in the third set before Lesley used a Blazers’ service error to break a 23-23 deadlock. The Lynx then scored three of the next four points on the strength of kills by Christian Domingo (Los Angeles, Calif.) and Nick Assad (Andover, Mass.), and an assisted block from Alejandro Lazo (Boston, Mass.) and Mike Jack (Buenos Aires, Argentina) to up the lead to 27-24.

Elms responded with kills by junior outside hitter Mike Ryan (Ludlow, Mass.), Martin and used a Lesley attacking error to knot the score at 27-27. From there, a pair of Blazers' miscues and a kill by Jack sealed the third frame victory for Lesley and gave Elms a 2-1 lead in the contest.

The Blazers opened up a 19-10 lead in the fourth stanza, and with the score set at 24-15, Elms scored five of the next six points, highlighted by a kill from freshman outside hitter Stephen Cameron (Newington, Conn.), an assisted block by freshman middle hitter Wilfrido Fermin (Bronx, N.Y.) and sophomore opposite hitter Mike Kleckner (Bethlehem, Pa.), and a service ace by Martin, to give the Blazers a 29-16 advantage. A kill by Lesley’s Scott Wheeler (East Hampton, Conn.) and two Elms errors pulled the Lynx to within 10 at 29-19, before a Lesley service error sealed the set and match for the Blazers.

Kleckner finished with 14 kills, eight service aces, 11 digs and a pair of assisted blocks, while Cameron smashed 11 kills, dug 17 balls, and served up three aces.

Acosta added 16 digs in addition to his 22 kills, while Martin chipped in two kills, two aces and four digs in the winning effort. Fermin was a force at the net, assisting on five blocks.

Cameron and Acosta each had five kills in the opening set as the sides played to 15 ties and eight lead changes before Ryan delivered an ace to give Elms a 1-0 lead in the match.

Acosta broke a 28-28 stalemate in the second set with a kill and, and then teamed with Fermin on a block to lift Elms to the frame two victory and a 2-0 lead in the contest.

Wheeler led the Lynx’ offensive and defensive attacks totaling 14 kills and 17 digs, while Jack finished with 10 kills. Lazo downed nine kills, while Assad and Domingo secured 13 and 12 digs respectively.

Assad paced the Lesley attack with 40 assists in the losing effort.

Elms returns to NECVA and NECC action on Monday, Feb. 15 when it hosts Daniel Webster College. First-serve is slated for 7:00 p.m. at Picknelly Arena.