MAHWAH, N.J. - The Yeshiva University men's volleyball team earned a Skyline Conference victory over Purchase College, in straight sets, on the campus of Ramapo College on Sunday afternoon. Set scores were 25-19, 27-25, and 25-23. This was part of a tri-match with Ramapo College. Earlier in the day, the Maccabees lost to the host-Roadrunners in straight sets (25-9, 25-7, 25-15).
The Maccabees (6-15, 3-9 Skyline) have now won two of their last three matches, all in Skyline play.
"We are coming together as a team," Yeshiva University Acting Head Coach Batya Schreier said. "The effort and heart are both there and it is being translated to numbers on the scoreboard. I could not be more proud."
Leading the way for Yeshiva against Purchase (4-18, 2-9 Skyline) was graduate libero Avi Braun who had a match-high 23 digs, while slamming home two kills and registering an assist. Senior outside hitter Amitai Kolom and classmate Eliezer Benjamin each scored 10 kills with the former providing 16 digs and three assists, while the latter added three blocks.
Senior outside hitter Shmuel Aberman generated seven kills, 13 digs, and a pair of blocks. Junior middle blocker Lavi Friedman produced eight kills, two digs, just as many service aces, and a block. Freshman setter Eli Waxman had a double-double with 29 assists and 12 digs. Junior right side hitter Eitan Cillo had eight digs and two service aces. Graduate right side hitter Michael Stark anchored the defense with nine digs.
In the opening set, the Maccabees and Panthers were knotted up at 13. Then, Yeshiva exploded for a 10-2 run to take a 23-15 hold. Aberman highlighted the run with three kills. The Macs ended up earning a set-point opportunity at 24-17. Purchase scored the next two points, but then Yeshiva scored the 25th point to clinch the first set.
In the second set, the Maccabees fell behind by a score of 14-10. However, Yeshiva tilted momentum into its favor by scoring six unanswered points, highlighted by a kill each from Aberman, Braun, and Benjamin, to put the Blue and White in front. Later in the stanza, with the game tied at 23, Friedman scored a kill to give the Macs a set-point opportunity. The Panthers responded by scoring the next two points to put YU on the brink of defeat in the second set. Fortunately for the Maccabees, Aberman slammed home a kill to spark three unanswered points that drove Yeshiva to the win in the second game, 27-25, which gave YU a 2-0 advantage in the match.
In the third game, Yeshiva trailed by a score of 15-14. The tide changed as a pair of kills by Kolom propelled YU to five unanswered points to give them a 19-15 benefit. The Panthers played catch-up the rest of the way. Purchase did cut YU's lead to 24-23, but a kill by Benjamin clinched the set and Yeshiva's third Skyline victory of the season.
Earlier in the day against Ramapo (16-7, 9-1 Skyline), Braun tallied 15 more digs. Stark added six digs of his own. Kolom generated four kills, three digs, and two blocks. Waxman provided 11 assists, a pair of digs, and just as many blocks. Friedman had a match-high five blocks to go along with three kills. Aberman and Benjamin each had three kills, with the former providing three digs. Cillo recorded two digs.
Ramapo never trailed in each of the first two sets. The Macs had a brief 5-2 lead in the third frame, but the Roadrunners stormed back to claim the conference win.
Yeshiva will host St. Joseph's University Brooklyn, in a Skyline match at Max Stern Athletic Center, on Tuesday evening. First serve is set for 7:30 p.m.
