Sage drops heartbreaker in Skyline Conference Semifinals
Annandale on Hudson, NY----- The Sage Colleges men's volleyball team competed on Sunday afternoon in the semifinals of the 2011 Skyline Conference Semifinals. Seeded third, the Gators fell 3-1 to the second seeded Dolphins. Defending champion, Bard College beat CMSV 3-0 in the finals to earn the league's championship crown and a spot in the upcoming 2011 NECVA Championship
A second-year program, the Gators have earned back-to-back appearances in the semifinals, but finish the 2011 campaign having doubled the success of the first team, that went 5-20 and 3-8 in conference play. Head coach Andy Smith's 2011 Gators went 14-12 overall and 7-3 in the Skyline Conference.
Game #1 MSV 26, Sage 24
The contest was tied at 7-7 when CMSV ran off eight of the next nine points and eventually led 15-8. Sage rallied to tie at 19-19, then took the lead 20-19 on an ace by junior Spencer Hilland (Slingerlands, NY/Bethlehem Central). Sage had set point at 24-23, but a ball handling error tied the game. CMSV's senior outside hitter David Guerrero (East Meadow, NY/East Meadow) Guerrero back-to-back kills on the last two points to win the set.
Game # 2 MSV 25, Sage 22
The set was knotted 11 different times, the last time at 20-20. Kills by junior Mark Sargente (Hauppauge, NY/Hauppauge) and junior middle blocker Joe Ecock (Brooklyn, NY/Xaverian) clinched the set.
Game # 3 Sage 26, MSV 24
The Gators took an 8-3 lead early and held a slight lead right up until 21-21. The Gators came up with a pair of crucial points were when CMSV had a 24-22 lead. Sage's sophomore Jake Douty (Rensselaer, NY/Columbia) block of Guerrero made it 24-24. A key ace by sophomore Kyle Ray (Horseheads, NY/Horseheads) made it 25-24 Sage. Douty blocked Guerrero to clinch the set for Sage.
Game # 4 MSV 25, Sage 23
CMSV jumped out to an 18-13 lead, before Sage rallied to tie at 18-18. Sage fought off one set point on a kill by Douty to make it 24-23, before a combined block by Guerrero and Sargente of Douty won the set and the match for the Dolphins.
For the match, Hilland had 12 kills with 10 blocks. Freshman middle hitter Connor Thompson (Delmar, NY/CBA) racked up 11 kills with seven blocks, while Douty added 12 kills and four blocks. Rookie setter Cory Gransbury (Round Top, NY/Cairo-Durham) added 40 setting assists. Rookie libero Matt Bynon (Burnt Hills, NY/Burnt Hills) added 36 digs for the Gators.
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