Score: Vassar College 3, Elmira College 2 (20-25, 25-21, 20-25, 28-26, 15-10)
Records: Vassar (17-6, 7-1 UVC), Elmira (19-8, 5-3 UVC)
Location: Elmira, N.Y. -- Speidel Gymnasium
 
ELMIRA, N.Y. -- The No. 15-ranked Elmira College men's volleyball team dropped a heart-breaking 3-2 decision to No. 10 Vassar College today in home United Volleyball Conference (UVC) action at Speidel Gymnasium today.

It was an evenly-played contest throughout, as both teams posted similar statistics in the bout. Despite taking the defeat, the Soaring Eagles outhit the Brewers with a .220 attack percentage, compared to Vassar's .209 clip. EC also out-blocked the Brewers, 11-to-6. However, where Vassar really shined was passing the ball, as they owned a 64-to-47 advantage in assists.

Ryan McDonough '19 exhibited his upperclassman experience tonight, as he led the team with 18 kills, while hitting at a .268 attack percentage. Jose Malave '21 was another key component to EC's game plan, as he finished second on the team in both kills (11) and attack attempts (30), in addition to finishing with a double-double with 11 digs. Jeremy Best '19 was all over the court for the Soaring Eagles, as he also logged a double-double with 39 assists and a match-high 12 digs.

It was apparent from the opening serve that Elmira came to battle, as EC opened the game on a 6-0 run. The Soaring Eagles continued to add to its lead later in the frame, going ahead by seven, 16-9, midway through the set. The Brewers made things interesting in the latter portion of the first set, cutting their deficit to four, 23-19, prompting an Elmira timeout. The Soaring Eagles used the break wisely by winning two of the final three points to take a 25-20 victory.

Vassar evened the match at 1-all with a 25-21 triumph in the second set. With the contest tied, both teams traded runs to start the third set until Elmira went ahead by a score of 8-6. The Soaring Eagles followed that up with a 7-2 push to grow their lead to six, 15-9. This advantage would hold for the remainder of the frame, as EC earned another 25-20 victory.

With a 2-1 lead in the match, Elmira looked to seal the deal in the fourth set. Vassar started the frame hot by winning the first three points, which was answered by a 6-1 EC run. Trailing 6-4, the Brewers strung together four consecutive points to retake the lead, 8-6. This moment was followed by back-and-forth play for the next few minutes until EC tied the score at 16-all with a 4-0 surge. Best had a hand in all but one of the points, as he posted one service ace and two assists in the stretch.  

The two teams then began to trade points again until an Elmira 4-0 push gave them a late 23-22 advantage. The Brewers answered with two straight points to earn match-point, 24-23. Elmira stayed in the bout by earning a point on a Vassar attack error. The play again went back and forth until Dan Symer '19 floored one of his eight kills in the match to knot the score 26-26. Unfortunately for the Purple and Gold, Vassar went on a 2-0 push to end the frame to win the set, 28-26, forcing a fifth set.

EC started the fifth with a 3-1 surge to take the early lead. A 6-1 push by the Brewers swung the advantage and momentum in favor of the road team. Elmira kept the deficit within two for most of the frame, but the Soaring Eagles would not come any closer, as they fell by a 15-10 final score, suffering a 3-2 loss for the match.
 
News and Notes

• The Soaring Eagles fall to 19-8 overall this season.
• The Setback also drops Elmira to fourth in the UVC with a 5-3 record.
• EC's five-set loss is their first since the first week of the season, as it is now 8-3 in five-setters this year.
• Despite coming into the contest first in the league in blocks per set, Vassar was held to zero solo blocks in the contest.
• The Brewers' 64 assists are a season-high by an Elmira opponent.
• With 18 kills tonight, McDonough has tallied double-digit kills in six straight matches.
• With 11 kills and 11 digs, Malave has posted six double-doubles as a rookie.
• With 39 assists and 12 digs, Best has recorded two double-doubles this year.
• Best has tallied 30-plus assists in his last six matches.
• Best's 12 digs are a career-high for the junior.

Up Next
The Soaring Eagles return to action tomorrow with a 2:30 p.m. tilt against the Massachusetts Institute of Technology at Speidel Gymnasium. The bout will serve as Elmira's Class of 2018 Recognition Day.