NEW YORK – The Yeshiva University men's volleyball team dropped three competitive sets to Purchase College, at Max Stern Athletic Center, on Tuesday evening. Set scores were 25-22, 25-19, and 25-19.

Leading the way for the Maccabees (4-10, 3-8 Skyline) was senior Alon Jakubowitz who slammed home nine kills, produced three blocks, and had a pair of digs. Classmate Amitai Kolom scored seven kills, anchored the defense with four digs, and had an assist. Sophomore Akiva Kamornick tied a match-high with five digs, while scoring an ace, and producing a block. Senior Benjamin Goldstein led the team with 15 assists, while recording three digs, producing two kills, and tallying a block.

Both teams exchanged runs throughout the first set. With the game tied at 13, Jakubowitz executed a successful attack to put the Macs ahead by a point. The Panthers (5-12, 4-7 Skyline) responded with five straight points to take an 18-14 hold. After Yeshiva scored the next point, Purchase countered with a 4-0 run to take a commanding 22-15 benefit. The Maccabees would not go down without a fight as they scored five of the next six points to pull to within three, at 23-20. After Purchase earned a set-point opportunity, Jakubowitz produced a kill to spark two unanswered points to shrink the Panthers' lead to 24-22. However, a kill courtesy of senior Jeremiah Huntt clinched the opening game for Purchase, 25-22.

YU got off to a good start in the second set, as a kill by Jakubowitz gave his team a 12-10 edge. Later, with the stanza even at 13 points apiece, Kolom slammed the ball through Purchase's defense to allow YU to regain the lead. After Purchase scored two of the next three points to tie it up, Kolom once again tallied a kill to allow the Macs to regain the lead. However, Purchase tilted momentum into its favor by scoring five straight points to go up, 20-16. Yeshiva went on a 3-1 run to narrow the opposition's advantage to 21-19. However, the Panthers scored the final four points of the set to go up 2-0 in the match and put YU on the brink.

The Maccabees fell behind in the third set, 7-3. However, an ace by Kamornick, and a kill from senior Steven Zelmanovich, capped off four straight YU points to tie it up. Later in the stanza, a kill by Jakubowitz put Yeshiva in front, 15-14. The Maccabees eventually held a 17-15 advantage, but Purchase countered with four straight points to pull ahead, 19-17. The Panthers then committed a pair of errors to allow the Blue and White to even it up at 19 points apiece. Purchase would finish strong with six straight points to clinch the set and the match.

For Yeshiva, senior Avi Braun had four digs and an assist.  Zelmanovich produced two kills and just as many digs. Senior Michael Stark generated three digs, an assist, and a block. Classmate Benjamin Smillie chipped in on defense with four digs, while adding a kill and an assist. Junior Shmuel Aberman produced a dig of his own.

For Purchase, senior Joe Higgins had 13 kills, while Huntt added 12 successful attacks. Junior Idris Idris led all players with 25 assists.

Yeshiva University bestowed honors to its men's volleyball graduating seniors with a ceremony for Senior Night prior to the match. Braun, Zelmanovich, Kolom, Jakubowitz, Smillie, Goldstein, and Stark were honored.

Yeshiva will take on New Jersey City University, in a Skyline match at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center, on Thursday evening. First serve is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.