SUNYIT Box | Vassar Box
Updated stats l Tournament site
ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- Top-seeded Nazareth showed no ill effects from a 17-day layoff as the Golden Flyers swept eighth-seeded SUNYIT and fourth-seeded Vassar in two men's volleyball matches Saturday afternoon at the United Volleyball Conference Tournament hosted by the Golden Flyers. The Golden Flyers downed the Wildcats by the scores of 25-14, 25-15, 25-18 and defeated the Brewers by the scores of 25-22, 25-22, 25-21.

With the victories, Nazareth, ranked second in the AVCA Division III rankings, improves to 24-3 overall. Fourteenth-ranked Vassar finishes the tournament with a 17-11 record. The Golden Flyers have won 15 straight matches and will play seventh-seeded New Paltz in Sunday's UVC Championship. The 15th-ranked Hawks advanced to the title match by defeating Medaille and Stevens in Saturday's action.

Against Vassar, senior Ellis Walsh tallied 11 kills in 14 attempts for a .786 hitting percentage. Junior Billy Gimello also recorded 11 kills while senior Brian Bunch had 10 kills. Sophomore EJ Wells-Spicer accumulated 41 assists. Gimello and Bunch each recorded seven digs.

The Golden Flyers outlasted the Brewers with hitting percentages of .552 in the first set, .267 in the second set, and .429 in the third set. In comparison, Nazareth held Vassar to hitting percentages of .270 in the first set, .250 in the second set, and .240 in the third set.

Evan Fredericksen tallied a match-high 16 kills and Christian La Du had a match-high nine digs for the Brewers.

Against SUNYIT, Nazareth used a balanced offensive attack to produce a .429 hitting percentage as sophomore Robert Kraft had eight kills in 10 attempts and sophomore Alex Houghtalen added seven kills. Sophomore setters EJ Wells-Spicer (27) and Connor Ecklund (10) combined for 37 assists.