PATCHOGUE, N.Y. – In the first meeting of the season against the two teams voted atop the conference in the Skyline Preseason Poll, the Manhattanville University men's volleyball team dropped a three-setter at Saint Joseph's Long Island on Wednesday night. The loss (11-25, 12-25, 22-25) drops the Valiants to 4-11 (3-3 Skyline), while the Golden Eagles improve to 7-8 (5-0 SKY).

Trevor Kolar (South Huntington, N.Y./Walt Whitman) and Joe Gandarillas (Farmingville, N.Y./Sachem HS East) logged eight kills each as Manhattanville's leading attackers. Pedro Machado (Vitoria da Conquista, Brazil/Colegio Oficina) supplied another six while adding 13 assists.

Machado split setting duties with Mason Moon (Rockport, Texas/Rockport-Fulton), with the senior supplying 17.

Matt Diamond (Hamburg, N.Y./Hamburg), Kolar and Gandarillas each finished with nine digs to lead the Valiants defensively. Machado and Adrian Bonilla (Guaynabo, Puerto Rico/Baldwin School of Puerto Rico) also made impacts in the front line with three blocks apiece.

SJLI swung .455 in the opening frame and pulled away quickly, breaking a 4-4 tie with nine straight points. The Golden Eagles ultimately won 14 of the ensuing 15 rallies to take an 18-5 lead. Manhattaville was held without a multipoint run until 22-7, when Kolar and Machado provided kills coupled with a Saint Joe's attack error moved the set to 22-10. The Golden Eagles took the opener by taking three of the final four points, winning 25-11.

The Valiants dipped into the negatives in the second, committing 11 errors to nine kills. Manhattanville picked up the opening two points with a Gandarillas kill and a Machado-Bonilla dual block, but SJLI responded with the next four to take a lead that never left the Golden Eagles' talons. Manhattanville could not get a run going as SJLI forced side outs on the Valiants' next eight serves. Saint Joseph's also went on an 8-1 run while holding Manhattanville in check, ultimately taking a 22-10 lead. Martinez and Kolar provided back-to-back kills for the Valiants' first multipoint string since the opening rallies before the Golden Eagles won the next three and took the set 25-12.

Manhattanville had its strongest showing of the night in the third, outhitting Saint Joseph's (.190-.167). The Golden Eagles delivered the first punch with a 5-1 run to go up 6-3 before the Valiants notched three straight for the first of three tied scores. The hosts tried pulling away with another five-of-six spurt to break the tie and go up 13-9, continuing to lead to 16-13. Manhattanville were the beneficiaries of Saint Joseph's miscues, as a pair of Golden Eagle attack errors coupled with kills from Kolar and Wilton Martines put the Valiants in front, 17-16. Saint Joseph's had one last 5-1 run in store to go up 21-18, as the Valiants were unable to mount a final comeback, falling 25-22.

Up Next
The Valiants are back at home on Saturday when Manhattanville hosts Old Westbury at noon.

VALIANTS on SOCIAL MEDIA For the latest on Manhattanville Athletics, follow the Valiants via social media on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Threads and YouTube. #WeAreValiant #GoValiants