PURCHASE, NY - Traveling up to Purchase College to host their third and final conference tri-match of the season, the Yeshiva men's volleyball team fell to both New Jersey City University and The College at Old Westbury, losing by scores of 3-0 and 3-2 respectively on Friday, Mar. 22.
 
The Maccabees were led by a pair of career days, with both Jarrett Lazarus and Michael Stark putting up a number of personal bests. The men in blue and white proved particularly effective against Old Westbury, as Lazarus tallied a statline of 11 kills and two aces against the Panthers, both new individual records, while Stark patrolled up and down the floor, capping a storied five-year career with a 33-dig performance, a new all-time best.
 
With the losses, the Macs are now 1-24 on the season, 1-15 in conference play.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED - Game 1 vs NJCU (L, 3-0)

• The Macs were able to keep things close early on in the first set, leaning on a kill from Andrew Pinchot to level the contest at 3-all. However, from there NJCU would run away with the period, outsourcing Yeshiva 22-6 to down YU, 25-9.
   
• Yeshiva proved more competitive in set number two, as back-to-back kills from Yaakov Baker combined with a thundering Lazarus block to draw the Macs within six at 13-7. Despite the effort though, YU could not catch the blistering Gothic Knight attack. While a late 4-2 run pushed Yeshiva's point total into the double digits for the first time, the Macs still fell, 25-12.
   
• Taking full advantage of a pair of NJCU errors, the Macs kicked off set three by jumping out to their first lead of the match, going up 2-1. The advantage would not last however, as the Gothic Knights quickly buried Yeshiva in a 24-8 hole. Two quick points gave the Maccabees a brief respite, yet a Jonathan Werta attack error ended the set, 25-10, and the match, 3-0.

 
MAC LEADERS

• Kills: Baker (2), Pinchot (2), Werta (1)
• Aces: Lazarus (1)
• Blocks: Lesnoy (1), Lazarus (1)
• Assists: Waxman (5), Kirshtein (1)
• Digs: Stark (8), Lazarus (7), Waxman (5)

 
HOW IT HAPPENED - Game 2 vs Old Westbury (L, 3-2)

• Despite YU being able to keep the contest close early on, trailing by just one at 6-5, the gap between the two squads began to open up come the middle of the first set, with OW taking a 14-6 lead. While three quick points got Yeshiva within six at 15-9, the effort was not enough to wrest control away from their conference foe, falling, 25-13.
   
• Looking to change around their fortune following a disappointing last four sets, Yeshiva lept out to a fast advantage in set two, as kills from Pinchot and Eli Waxman guided the team out to a 14-6 edge. Old Westbury fought back, drawing within four at 23-19, yet YU's defense proved stout enough to close out the period, forcing two Panther errors and tying the contest at one set a piece.
   
• Seeing a repeat of set number one, the Macs began the third down early, trailing 6-1. This margin would hold out to 16-9, only for Old Westbury to leap further ahead at 21-13. However, intent to not go down without a fight, Yeshiva embarked on a 6-2 run, closing within four at 23-19 thanks to kills from Baker and Pinchot combined with an Eitan Cillo service ace. The effort proved for nought though, as two points got OW to 25, downing the Macs, 25-20.
   
• Yeshiva continued to fight back in the fourth set, jumping out to a 12-4 lead thanks to the stellar service game of Waxman, Lazarus and Cillo. This advantage would hold through the remainder of the period, outlasting a 3-0 OW run that brought the Panthers within two points at 20-18. The Macs answered authoritatively with a 5-1 stretch of their own, slamming the door shut on the set, 25-19.
   
• The Macs were able to contend through the majority of the fifth and final set, drawing within one point on four separate occasions. However, a gassed YU squad simply did not have the reserves to contend with a Old Westbury team playing their first game of the day. A final 4-1 Panther run closed out the set, 15-11, and the match, 3-2.

 
MAC LEADERS

• Kills: Lazarus (11), Pinchot (8), Baker (6)
• Aces: Lazarus (2), Cillo (1), Baker (1)
• Blocks: Pinchot (4), Lesnoy (1), Baker (1)
• Assists: Waxman (26), Pinchot (3), Stark (1)
• Digs: Stark (33), Waxman (25), Lazarus (22)

 
UP NEXT
Hitting the road for their penultimate conference match of the season, the Maccabees will travel out to St Joseph's University Brooklyn on Wednesday, Mar. 27 at 7:00 PM.