Men's Volleyball Extends Win Streak to Nine With Victory Over Emmanuel

BOSTON, Mass. –The #10 ranked Wentworth Institute of Technology men's volleyball team won its ninth consecutive game Thursday evening, as the Leopards defeated Emmanuel College 3-0 in conference play.

RECORDS

• Wentworth (24-4, 13-1 GNAC)
• Emmanuel (13-13, 6-8 GNAC)

WENTWORTH STAT LEADERS:

• Kills – Hunter Oshman, Jacob LaBouliere, 11
• Assists – Connor Adams, 27
• Digs – Phoenix Stebbins, 6
• Aces – Colin Stockton, Tyler Jack, 2

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Kills by junior Hunter Oshman (Pennington, N.J.) and sophomore Jacob LaBouliere (Pipersville, Pa.) got the Leopards out to a 4-2 lead early in the first, but the Saints were able to keep it close. After two more kills by Oshman and junior Colin Stockton (Hummelstown, Pa.), Emmanuel won three of four to get within a point, bringing the score to 8-7 in favor of Wentworth. The Leopards followed up with a 7-2 run, as LaBouliere put down two more kills and Oshman added one. The Saints responded once again, however, scoring the next four point to again pull within one. But Wentworth dominated the set from that point on, winning the final 11 points of the opener. Graduate student David Marsh (Springfield, Mass.) had three kills during the span, while Oshman had two and Stockton picked up an ace, giving the Leopards a 25-13 victory to start the night.
• Marsh and Oshman had one kill each to start off the second, as the teams played to a 4-4 tie. Emmanuel briefly took the lead, but two kills from LaBouliere helped Wentworth take the lead back. With the Saints leading by a point, the Leopards won three of four to go ahead, capped off by a kill from junior Alex McLane (Columbus, Ohio). Another McLane kill tied the set at 12 after the Saints had again pulled ahead as the teams traded the lead multiple times. With Emmanuel holding a 15-13 advantage, LaBouliere came through with two kills as Wentworth won four of five to take a 17-16 lead, but again the Saints jumped back in front, going up 19-18. A pair of service aces by sophomore Tyler Jack (San Jose, Calif.) and one by freshman Josh Milke (Eastampton, N.J.), as well as kills from Oshman and Marsh, were part of a 6-1 run that put Wentworth ahead for good. An attack error by Emmanuel gave the Leopards the final point they needed, as the visitors claimed a 25-21 win in the second to go ahead by two sets.
• The Leopards took control early in the third, taking an 8-1 lead to start off. LaBouliere contributed two kills and an ace during the stretch, and Oshman added two more kills. A pair of finishers for McLane, in addition to one more by Oshman, extended the lead to eight points at 12-4 in favor of Wentworth. LaBouliere then had two more kills and Stockton added one, as the Leopards went ahead 15-7. With the score at 15-9 after a pair of points by the Saints, Wentworth went on a run to finish it off, similar to the first set. The Leopards closed it out with a 10-1 run, with McLane and Oshman earning kills while Stockton added another ace. Wentworth took the final set by a 25-10 score, picking up a 3-0 victory on the night.

THE SERIES:

• This was the 35^th all-time matchup between the teams, with Emmanuel leading the series 22-13.

NEXT UP:

• The Leopards finish up the regular season Saturday, April 2, as they travel to Weston, Mass. for a tri-match. They first face host Regis College at 10:00 a.m., then take the court against Rivier University at 12:00 p.m.

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