MEN'S VOLLEYBALL DOWNS LASELL, 3-1
CHICOPEE, MA, Feb. 24, 2007 - Elms College senior outside hitter Byron Bledsoe (Lake Forest, CA) knocked down a match-high 19 kills and senior middle blocker Brian Cunniff (Pittsfield, MA) added 15 kills and three block solos to help pace the Blazers to a 3-1 (30-27, 30-28, 26-30, 32-30) win over Lasell College in Saturday afternoon's non-conference men's volleyball match at the Maguire Center.
Elms College posted its fifth win in the last seven matches to improve to 7-8 overall. Lasell lost its third straight match and fell to 7-11.
The Blazers won the first two games 30-27 and 30-28 before the visiting Lasers rallied to win the third game 30-26.
In that third game, Lasell recorded 10 total blocks, including two block solos each from senior middle hitter Dwayne Cartagena (Cambridge, MA) and freshman opposite Serve Melnik (Natick, MA).
The Blazers, however, held off a furious rally from the Lasers late in game four and also received six kills each from Bledsoe and Cunniff to seal the victory.
In that fourth game, the Blazers led 27-21 before the Lasers used an 8-2 run, including a pair of kills from Cartagena to knot the game at 29-29.
The Blazers then fell behind 30-29, but fought off game-point following a kill by Bledsoe.
Sophomore opposite Phil Joyce (Ashland, NH) added his collegiate career-high 12th kill of the match to give Elms College a 31-30 lead before a Lasell attack error sealed the Blazers' victory.
Freshman opposite Andy Cass (Wakefield, RI) blasted a team-high 16 kills, Cartagena had 15 kills and a match-high four block solos and six block assists, while Melnik added 14 kills, three block solos and three block assists in the loss.
Freshman setter Ivan Andujar (Carolina, Puerto
Rico) handed out 53 assists and needs just 90 to break
Elms College's all-time record of 648 assists set by James
Angelos '06.
Elms College returns to non-conference play on Sunday, February
25 at home against Bard College. Match time is 3:00 p.m.