MIT Box | Vassar box | Updated stats
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- Sixth-ranked Nazareth split a pair of United Volleyball Conference matches Saturday at MIT. The Golden Flyers downed the host Engineers in four sets by scores of 25-20, 21-25, 25-20, 25-11 as senior Tim Zyburt produced a match-high 19 kills. Later in the day, Nazareth dropped a five-set match to 12th-ranked Vassar by scores of 20-25, 25-21, 25-22, 19-25, 15-9.

Nazareth now stands at 17-5 overall and 2-2 in conference matches. Vassar is 14-4 overall and 3-2 in the UVC. The Golden Flyers head to California for three matches next week. Nazareth plays at Cal Lutheran Wednesday and at UC Santa Cruz Friday and against Ramapo Saturday.

Zyburt also had 16 kills against Vassar, but the Golden Flyers couldn't overcome 28 hitting errors and 22 service errors in the five-set defeat. The Golden Flyers had six hitting errors in the fifth set alone, including four on Vassar's first six points to give the Brewers a commanding advantage that Nazareth couldn't overcome. Chris Mahan added 11 kills in the match and Grant Levermore had nine. Setter Jake Kemp had 47 assists and libero Tom Keisling had a season-high 22 digs.

Nazareth was in control in the first set as Levermore and Zyburt had three kills apiece. Nazareth led 17-15 in the second set before the Brewers rallied. The Brewers then held off a late charge by Nazareth to take the third set. Nazareth squared the match by taking the fourth set as Zyburt produced six kills and Mahan three.

Reno Kriz led Vassar with a match-high 21 kills and Zechariah Lee amassed 43 assists.

Against MIT, Zyburt hit 19-4-31 from his outside hitting position for a .484 hitting percentage. Six of his kills came on seven swings as Nazareth dominated the fourth set to seal the victory. Freshman Zachary Gillard delivered 10 kills on 22 attempts and Mahan combined eight kills with six blocks.

Nazareth hit a solid .321 overall (51-17-112) while limiting MIT to .066 percentage (36-29-106).

Nazareth trailed 17-15 in the opening set before rallying to win by scoring 10 of the final 13 points. Two kills by senior Grant Levermore and one by Zyburt -- all off assists by Kemp -- helped fuel the rally. After dropping the second set, Nazareth trailed 16-15 in the third before staging another comeback. Two kills by Zyburt and one each for Levermore and senior Coulton Every enabled Nazareth to rally. Nazareth controlled the fourth set from the beginning as the Golden Flyers never trailed.