Old Westbury, NY –
After several cancellations due to severe inclement weather, the SUNY Old Westbury Men's Volleyball team (4–1, 1–0 Skyline) finally kicked off Skyline Conference play on Saturday afternoon at the Clark Athletic Center, sweeping visiting Sarah Lawrence College (7–7, 1–2 Skyline) in straight sets,
25–10, 25–23, 25–15.
During the match, the Panthers showed resilience in the second set, overcoming an early 4–9 deficit before rallying back to secure the 25–23 victory. From that point forward, Old Westbury's defensive pressure and consistency allowed them to maintain control of the match and complete the sweep.
Overall, the Panthers' offense was spearheaded by sophomore middle blocker
Torrence Fredericks, who recorded a match-high 11 kills along with six total blocks (two solo, four assists). First-year middle blocker
Jason Giles was efficient throughout the afternoon, finishing with seven kills on a
.467 hitting percentage and adding two service aces.
First-year outside hitter
Julius Morales also delivered a strong all-around performance with seven kills, 10 digs, and two assists. Sophomore right side
Shane Kielb proved to be an offensive threat as well, tallying five kills, four block assists, two aces, and five digs.
Senior
Ashel Santos contributed four kills, one assist, and seven digs, while first-year setter
Lucas Rogers facilitated the offense with a match-high 29 assists, seven digs, and one service ace.
Defensively, the Panthers were led by sophomore libero
Kevin Alarcon, who finished with a match-high 20 digs. Junior defensive specialist
Stephen Gilmartin added five digs to anchor the back row effort.
On the evening, it was Old Westbury's defense that helped bring life to its offense, as the Panthers recorded
57 team digs compared to 49 for Sarah Lawrence. The Panthers also controlled play at the net and from the service line, finishing with
nine total team blocks and eight service aces, helping fuel the straight-set victory.
What's Next?
The Panthers return to action on March 3 at 6:00 PM when they hit the road to take on the University of Mount St. Vincent in another Skyline Conference match up.
