NEW YORK, N.Y. – The Manhattanville College men's volleyball team split tri-match action on Sunday, dropping their match against Saint Joseph's Long Island in three sets before logging the program's first conference win with a sweep of Yeshiva. The Valiants enter the new week 5-8 overall and with a 1-2 record in the Skyline Conference.

Match One Recap: Manhattanville 0, Saint Joseph's Long Island 3 (11-25, 16-25, 12-25)
Facing off against the back-to-back Skyline Conference champs for the first time this season, the Valiants were unable to match pace with an explosive Saint Joseph's team that hit .333 across the match, taking the opener in a three-set sweep.
Emil Morban Medrano (San Cristobal, Republica Dominicana/HS for Environmental Studies) and Wilton Martinez (Bronx, N.Y./Celia Cruz Bronx HS of Music) led the Valiants' attack effort with 17 total kills. Medrano finished with nine to lead all players on the court, while his freshman classmate Martinez logged eight putaways. Jacob Flecther finished as the only other Valiant with multiple kills, finishing with two in the match.

Idris Idris (Kassala, Sudan/JFK High School) was the team's primary setter in the match, accounting for 19 of the team's 21 assists. The graduate student added four digs defensively, trailing only Jake Rothluebbers (Redondo Beach, Calif./Redondo Union High School) (seven) and Medrano (five) on the team.

Martinez also found success on the serving line, notching three aces, while also being a presence at the net with a pair of solo blocks and a block assist.

Manhattanville got on the board first following a Golden Eagle attack error, but Saint Joseph's immediately rattled off the next five points and 12 of the next 14 to take a commanding 12-3 lead. Trailing 19-5, the Valiants would string together a pair of three-point runs, but it would only dent the Golden Eagle advantage with Saint Joseph's taking the opener 25-11.

The Valiants had their best hitting performance of the match in the second frame, going .192, but the Golden Eagles continued to strike with 10 kills compared to just two errors. A back-and-forth start to the frame saw Saint Joseph's protecting a 7-6 lead following a kill by Fletcher. The Golden Eagles scored the next three points to gain some distance. While the Valiants were able to stay within two, down 13-11, a four-point streak by Saint Joseph's provided enough breathing room for the Golden Eagles to close out the set, 25-16.

Manhattanville struck early in the third, building up a 6-4 advantage. However, it was only a matter of time before Saint Joseph's began to click, with the Golden Eagles scoring 10 straight points to jump out to a 14-6 lead. Manhattanville was unable to respond to the heavy blow, dropping the set and match 25-12.

Match Two Recap: Manhattanville 3, Yeshiva 0 (25-15, 25-17, 25-17)
It was a good bounce-back effort for the Valiants to close out the day's action as Manhattanville picked up a three-set sweep of hosting Yeshiva to get into the conference win column.

Martinez served as the team's offensive leader, logging 10 kills while serving six aces. Fletcher also had a strong performance with eight putaways and four aces on the serve. Medrano added six kills while Luis Granados (Pasadena, Calif./St. Francis) contributed five alongside two aces.

Idris logged a double-double, once again taking point with 31 assists while adding 11 digs. Medrano matched the defensive total, while Rothluebbers earned 10.

Yeshiva began the contest up 5-2 before the Valiants pieced together a 9-1 run to firmly take control of the momentum. The Maccabees scored the next three points to come back within two, but Manhattanville regained the separation with a 3-0 run of their own. Their lead never dipped below three points, with the Valiants using a 6-0 run to push their advantage to 20-11. The advantage was more than enough to take the first point as Manhattanville marched their way to the 25-15 win.

The second set saw seven different tied scores as the teams jockeyed for control of the lead. Trailing 6-4, the Valiants rattled off five straight points to go back in front, but the Maccabees followed suit with three straight points of their own as part of a 6-1 run. The Valiants tied and retook the lead by stringing together the next four points to go ahead 14-12 and would successfully hold on to the advantage for the remainder of the set. After Yeshiva scored the next point to come back within one, a Martinez kill, Medrano ace and Granados putaway reestablished some breathing room. The Valiants closed out the set on an 8-4 run to go up two sets to none.

Leading 5-4 in the final set, a Fletcher kill began a 4-0 Valiant run that the team successfully held for the rest of the frame. Yeshiva would be held without another point while controlling the serve until Manhattanville's lead climbed up to 18-9, where the Maccabees scored two straight as part of a larger 6-2 run. While the home squad was able to close the gap to five, the Valiants scored five of the final seven points, winning the match 25-17 off a Yeshvia service error.
 
Up Next
The Valiants get another crack at the Golden Eagles on Tuesday night, hosting Saint Joseph's Long Island at 7 p.m.

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