Men's Volleyball Defeats Sage 3-1 at Home

CHICOPEE, Mass. - The Elms College Men's Volleyball team hosted Russell Sage College for a non-conference match on Wednesday evening at Picknelly Arena.

BASICS
Score: Elms College 3 (25, 25, 19, 25) | Russell Sage College 1 (19, 15, 25, 20)
Records: Blazers 4-1, 0-0 (GNAC) | Gators 0-4, 0-0 (NEVC)

HOW IT HAPPENED

Elms controlled the opening set with consistency and pressure that set the tone immediately, with a service ace from first year David Dzhenzherukha (Agawam, Mass.), and never relinquished momentum. Elms' serving would be a major factor throughout the set, finishing with six total service aces. Junior John Bellafronte (Enfield, Conn.) powered the Blazers with a dominant stretch at the line, recording three consecutive aces to fuel a key scoring run and extend lead for Elms to 18-13. Senior Rafa Artero (Madrird, Spain) added a service ace earlier in the set, helping Elms build separation at the midway point. Offensively, Elms showed balance and efficiency. Junior Nick Uschmann (Agawam, Mass.) led the attack with three kills, providing steady production on the outside. Bellafronte followed with two kills to go along with his strong serving performance, while first year Joe Culhane (Agawam, Mass.)  added two kills of his own to keep the offense rolling. Elms also picked up points through smart swings and forced errors, capitalizing on pressure situations. Defensively, the Blazers stayed disciplined at the net and in transition, forcing multiple attack and ball-handling errors that turned into points. Elms closed the set by forcing a bad set on set point, sealing the 25-19 victory in composed fashion. With aggressive serving, balanced scoring, and control in key moments, Elms dictated the pace of the first set and set the tone for the match.

The second set would see the two regional foes trade blows early, with the Blazers recording kills from Culhane and Uschmann, but after a 5-5 tie, Elms would take control of the set offensively, with additional kills by Uschmann, Artero, and Culhane, along with a service ace from Uschmann. Sage would look to create some momentum for themselves, but the Blazers would continue to keep the edge over the Gators, as sophomore Yazhua Marin Valentin (Springfield, Mass.), first year Juan Jones (Springfield, Mass.), Ushmann, and Culhane would add a combined six kills and a block by Jones and Uschmann to secure the set 25-15 for Elms.

The third set would begin with the Blazers earning the first point following an error by Sage, along with kills by Culhane and Uschmann, the Gators would then score 11 points for the first lead of the set. Then shortly thereafter, Elms would quickly respond with five-straight kills from Bellafronte, Jones, Culhane, and sophomore Hunter Ladouceur (Wilbraham, Mass.), along with a big block from Jones and Uschmann to bring the score to within a point. But as the set would continue, Sage would not relinquish their lead, even with the efforts by the Blazers, with two kills by Uschmann and Artero recording back-to-back service aces, and the Gators would win the set 25-19.

The fourth and final set would start with Elms earning the early advantage, with Jones recording two kills and a block from Artero and Culhane. Sage would narrow the score, but the Blazers would continue to capitalize with Uschmann adding six kills, Artero making three more blocks and a kill, a service ace from Ballafronte, a block assist by Ladouceur, and additional kills from Culhane and Jones to win the final set 25-20 and the match three sets to one.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• Dzhenzherukhu - 19 assists, four digs, and a service ace.

• Uschmann - 16 kills, ten digs, two block assists, a service aces, and an assist.

• Ladouceur - 13 assists, two kills, a dig, and a block assist.

• Culhane - 11 digs, eight kills, and a block assist.

• Bousquet - ten digs.

• Bellafronte - seven digs, five service aces, three kills, and two assists.

• Jones - six kills, two block assists, and two digs.

• Artero - three service aces, three blocks, two kills, a dig, and an assist.

• Marin Valentin - two kills and an assist.

• Tompkins - three digs.

UP NEXT: The Elms Men's Volleyball team will travel to Boston, Mass. for a non-conference tri-match against Emmanuel College and Bard College on Saturday, January 24th at 1 & 3 pm.

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