NEW YORK, N.Y. – The Yeshiva University men's volleyball team earned a thrilling non-conference win over Culinary Institute of America, 3-2, at the Max Stern Athletic Center on Sunday afternoon. Set scores were 25-20, 25-18, 17-25, 26-28, and 15-5.

Leading the way for the Maccabees (1-3) both offensively and defensively was junior outside hitter Chaim Aryeh Rubin, who produced a double-double with a match-high 16 kills and 10 digs. He also had two blocks and clinched the match with back-to-back service aces in the rubber game. Sophomore middle blocker Yosef Ajami had nine kills, two service aces, and 11 digs to go along with three aces, while sophomore setter Derek Orenshein slammed home nine kills and anchored the defense with just as many digs. Freshman opposite hitter Isaac Pomerance had a team-high 28 assists to go along with three digs and a kill.

A kill and a service ace by Orenshein highlighted a 5-0 run by the Macs, to put the home team up 9-6, in the opening set. Later in the game, Rubin's kill put YU up, 19-17. He later slammed home back-to-back kills to give YU a set-point opportunity, at 24-19. After Culinary (0-1) extended the set, Rubin clinched the game with a kill to put the Macs up, 1-0, in the match.

In the second game, a service ace by Orenshein capped off a 4-0 by YU, putting the home team up, 6-3. Later in the stanza, two service aces by Ajami capped off a 6-0 run to give Yeshiva a commanding 18-9 lead. The Steels scored five straight points to get back into it, but YU responded by scoring the last three points of the stanza to go up 2-0 in the match, and putting CIA on the brink.  

The Steels would not go down without a fight, as CIA led from wire-to-wire in the third game, winning it by a score of 25-17, and cutting the match deficit to one.

In the fourth game, a kill and a service ace by Ajami, and a kill by freshman outside hitter Joseph Sulaymanov, propelled Yeshiva to a 6-5 lead. Tied 7-7, freshman setter Ariel Boutehsaz produced an ace to put Yeshiva back in front. Later in the set, a pair of kills by Orenshein highlighted a 5-0 for the Maccabees, propelling the home team to a 13-11 advantage. Later in the game, the Steels scored five straight points to jump out to a 23-20 lead. After Yeshiva scored two straight, CIA countered to gain a set-point opportunity. Orenshein kept Yeshiva alive with back-to-back kills to tie the game, 24-24. The next two set-point opportunities by Culinary were countered by kills from Ajami. With the game tied, 26-26, CIA scored two straight to clinch the set, and tie the match at 2-2. 

In the fifth and deciding set, a service ace by junior outside hitter Amitai Miller gave Yeshiva a 2-1 advantage. Ajami and Sulaymanov combined for back-to-back kills to put YU up, 5-1. Yeshiva would steadily increase its lead throughout the rubber set. Rubin capped off his stellar afternoon with back-to-back aces to clinch the set for the Macs, 15-5, and the match, 3-2.

For the afternoon, Sulaymanov had five kills with seven digs, while Miller produced nine digs. Boutehsaz had a kill, an assist, and two digs, while freshman middle blocker Juan Diego Cordova earned a block. Freshman outside hitter Jonathan Apsan had an assist.

Yeshiva will return to action on Thursday, for a non-conference match at Lehman College. First serve at the APEX Main Gym is scheduled for 8:00 p.m.