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CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- Second-seeded Nazareth swept 15th-seeded Emmanuel in three sets in a first-round match Friday at the North East Collegiate Volleyball Association Championships at MIT. The Golden Flyers won by scores of 30-26, 31-29, 30-20 to advance to Saturday's quarterfinals and to extend their winning streak to 12 matches.
Nazareth used an effective .381 hitting percentage and got 12 kills from freshman outside hitter
Billy Gimello to advance. Nazareth will play again Saturday at 11 a.m. against 10th-seeded Philadelphia Biblical. It will mark the fourth meeting this season between Nazareth and Philadelphia Biblical with Nazareth winning the previous three.
Nazareth, ranked fifth nationally, improved to 26-4 overall. The Golden Flyers trailed for stretches in the first two sets, before rallying in each and then dominating the third set. They trailed 24-22 in the first set and then scored four straight points to secure the lead. Junior
Brian Bunch had a service ace and two kills in that decisive stretch.
In the second set, Emmanuel was up 28-25 before Nazareth tied the score with three straight points -- a kill by Bunch, an attack error by Emmanuel and a combined block by Gimello and
Ryan Johnsen. With the score still tied at 29, Nazareth prevailed thanks to an attacking error by Emmanuel and a service ace by Bunch.
Nazareth then rolled through set three as senior
Kelvin Rolle produced five of his 10 kills and Gimello and
Joe Petzoldt each delivered three kills.
Rolle's 10 kills came against just one hitting error in 16 attempts. Petzoldt also had 10 kills and senior setter
Frank Leahy added 40 assists.