Athletic Information
Men's Volleyball
Ben Foster handed out 40 assists, served two aces and had 11 digs on Friday night |
Gulls Soar Past Nighthawks, 3-0
Feb. 23, 2007
BEVERLY, MA - The Endicott College men's volleyball team notched an impressive 3-0 NECVA victory over visiting Newbury College on Friday night in Beverly, MA. The win brings the Gulls back to .500 and improves the Blue and Green to 6-1 in the Conference.
Bryan McDermand (Palatine, IL/Montini Catholic) got the big NECVA game started, as he picked up a strong kill for the visitors in their early 3-0 run. Endicott responded to the opening challenge by rattling off three straight scores, evening the game at 3-all. Neither team could find any separation in the early minutes, as the game remained tied until the midpoint of the first frame. With the score even at 12-a side, Endicott's A.J. Witkofsky (Scotia, NY/Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake) found some daylight in the Newbury back corner, putting the Gulls up one. Four scores later, the Blue and Green had their largest lead of the game, 18-13. Newbury's Erik Kostanski (Hampden, MA/Minnechaug Regional) ended the Endicott rally, as he slammed home a streak-ending point for the Nighthawks. Led by McDermand upfront, Newbury fought their way back within striking distance, 22-20. After back-to-back Endicott points and a Newbury timeout, the Gulls took two of the next three scores to push their lead to 26-21. Behind the strong serving of George Chapell (Haverhill, MA/Haverhill) and the upfront play of Witkofsky, the Gulls soared their way to a 30-22 game one victory.
Ben Foster (Penfield, NY/Penn) opened game two by grabbing the first two scores, a nice drop shot in the middle of the Newbury defense and a service ace, putting the Gulls up 2-0. Eric Smith (Concord, MA/Concord Carlisle) kept the offense rolling, as he picked a hard kill for a 4-1 lead. Newbury responded by scoring three of the next four, including a nice kill by Ken McNeeley (Forest Hills, MA/Fallston) cutting the Endicott lead to 5-4. The Gulls retaliated by taking six of the next nine, propelling the home team to a four point lead. Following a Newbury timeout, the Nighthawks sliced their way into the Endicott advantage, closing the gap to one at 14-13. Moments later, the Green and Gold evened the game at 17-all, only to have Endicott take the next three points. Both teams exchanged scores over the next several minutes, with the Nighthawks doing their best to hang on late. A late four point lead proved to be insurmountable for Newbury, as the Gulls prevailed to take game two, 30-26.
Game three was a back and forth affair, as the teams remained tied after the first 10 points were registered. Ben Foster provided a momentum building service ace, leading the Gulls to a 6-0 run and a 17-11 advantage. A Newbury timeout proved to slow the Endicott offense, as the visitors grabbed two straight to pull them within four. The Gulls would build their lead to six on a nice point from Matt Keepin (Harwinton, CT/Lewis S Mills), putting Endicott ahead 27-21. Behind the serving of Timothy MacMillian (Haverhill, MA/Haverhill) the Nighthawks were able to close within two, 28-26. Following an Endicott timeout, Witkofsky got the Gulls to match-point on a nice drop in at the net, making the score 29-26. An emphatic match-point by Eric Smith sent the Blue and Green hopeful home happy, as the Gulls took game three 30-27 and sealed the match, 3-0.
Newbury College was led by Ken McNeeley and Jay Neveu (Riverside, RI/East Providence), as the pair each notched nine kills for the Nighthawks. Sophomore Nicholas Horrocks (New Bedford, MA/Greater New Bedford) had 13 digs in the losing effort. Endicott was paced by A.J. Witkofsky's 15 kills and three blocks. Eric Smith had a solid game for the Gulls, as the sophomore registered 11 kills and 8 digs. Senior George Chapell had 10 kills and two aces while freshman Ben Foster dished out 40 assists, served two aces and had 11 digs in the win.
Endicott looks to keep to their winning ways on Tuesday night, as they go to work with NECVA foe Rivier College in Nashua, New Hampshire. Game time is scheduled for 7:00 PM.
