PURCHASE, N.Y. – The Manhattanville University men's volleyball team earned its first home win of the 2025 season on Wednesday night, taking down Old Westbury in four sets in a Skyline Conference tilt. The Valiants improve to 4-13 overall and 2-3 in conference play with the win (23-25, 25-13, 25-18, 25-19), while Old Westbury drops to 4-8 (2-4 Skyline).
The Valiants were led by a two-pronged attack of
Emil Medrano (San Cristobal, Republica Dominicana/HS for Environmental Studies) and
Joe Gandarillas (Farmingville, N.Y./Sachem HS East) totaling 33 of the team's 54 kills. Medrano set a season-high with 18 kills to pace the effort, while Ganadarillas' 15 putaways marked new career-best for the sophomore.
Luis Granados (Pasadena, Calif./St. Francis) and
Jake Rothluebbers (Redondo Beach, Calif./Redondo Union High School) were also heavy contributors, both tallying season highs with eight and five kills, respectively.
Idris Idris (Kassala, Sudan/JFK High School) earned his second double-double of the year by handling primary setter duties, accounting for 32 of Manhattanville's 52 assists. The graduate student also led the team's defensive play with 14 total digs.
Mason Moon (Rockport, Texas/Rockport-Fulton) also provided key sets with 14 assists, while
Evan Rapp (Bay Shore, N.Y./Bay Shore) dug out 12 balls as Manhattanville's libero to reach double figures for a second-straight match.
Two days removed from dropping a five-set heartbreaker against Ramapo, the Valiants could not find the putaway strike in the opening set as the Panthers opened the night on a 1-0 lead. After six tied scores to open play led to a 9-9 mark, the Valiants looked to blow the set open on a 7-1 run to go up 16-10. The Panthers limited the Valiants' control of the serve for the remainder of the frame as Manhattanville pieced together just one two-point run after the scoring splurge. Old Westbury capitalized to pull back within three at 22-19. Gandarillas gave the Valiants momentary breathing room with a kill, but the Panthers scored the next six points to complete the comeback, winning the set 25-23.
After seeing the opening set slip away, the Valiants responded with a 12-point win in set two, limiting the Panthers to a match-worst -.111 hitting mark. Manhattanville scored six straight to open the frame, four coming by way of Medrano terminations. The hot start was part of a larger 9-1 run that Old Westbury was never able to fight back from. The Panthers got as close as three at a 10-7 deficit, but the Old Westbury scored just once while holding the serve from that point on as the Valiants marched to set point, logging the 25-13 winner off Gandarillas' kill.
The Valiants kept rolling with a match-high .243 attack percentage in the third. Manhattanville appeared to be running away early again following a 5-1 opening burst, but the Panthers tied things up at 7-7. After two more tied scores, a Panther service error and Medrano kill gave the Valiants an 11-9 lead that never left the team's side. Old Westbury clawed back to a one-point game on three separate occasions, including using a three-point run to make it 17-16, but the Valiants rattled off five straight points to put Old Westbury in the rearview mirror and take the set following kills by Rothluebbers and Gandarillas, 25-18.
The Panthers roared back to life as the match hung in the balance, swinging a night-best .214 in the fourth. The Valiants withstood the assault and were able to hang one to pick up the victory. The set saw nine tied scores as runs were matched by others going the opposite way. With Old Westbury nursing a 13-12 lead, the Valiants scored three straight to take a lead that was never surrendered. The Panthers got back to within a single point twice, but Manhattanville ran off a crucial 5-0 run to erupt out to a 22-16 lead. With the advantage to work with, the Valiants went on to take the win on a final Medrano kill, 25-19.
Up Next
The busy week for the Valiants concludes on Saturday as Manhattanville hosts its final home tri-match of the season. The Vals welcome Sarah Lawrence and Saint Joseph's Brooklyn into Kennedy Gymnasium, with the day's action getting started at 11 a.m.
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