BRONXVILLE, N.Y. - After a 3-1 loss to the bears a week ago, the Sarah Lawrence men's volleyball team took St. Joseph's Brooklyn to the wire, falling 15-12 in the deciding fifth set. The Gryphons played their first five-set match of the season after defeating the Bears by scores of 26-24 and 25-19 in the second and third sets to take a 2-1 lead before the Bears won the final two sets. 

By the Numbers

• The Gryphons totaled 17 aces compared to just five for the visitors, with seniors Felix Massey and Lance De Leoz combining for 12 of the team's 17
• Aidan Roney led the Gryphons with three total blocks including an important solo block in the fourth frame which reduced the Bears' lead to just one point
• Massey paced the team in kills and points with a team-high of 16 kills and a match-high 23.5 points
• De Leoz and fellow senior Juan Paris led the way in assists for Sarah Lawrence, combining for 27 of the team's 31 assists
• Three Gryphons totaled over 20 digs in the match as Libero Lukas Gates joined Massey and De Leoz to lead the team. Paris totaled 14 digs as well for the Gryphons.

How it Happened

The two teams traded a first-set lead back-and-forth with neither team getting ahead by more than two points for the entirety of the set. The two teams were tied seventeen times in the first set before the Bears rattled off two straight points on Sarah Lawrence errors to take the set. 

The second set was a story of scoring runs. The Gryphons opened the set by scoring the first three points and after trading points, the Bears answered with a six-point run that would give them the lead, but not for long. The Gryphons would respond with a five-point run to reclaim the lead by a tally of 9-7. After rounds of trading scores, the two teams found themselves knotted up at 16 before Massey and De Leoz helped score three consecutive times to give Sarah Lawrence a 19-16 lead. A three-point run to answer from the Bears would tie the set up once again and not for the last time. The Gryphons would continue the streak of three-point runs to take another lead, this time by a score of 22-19 in what would be a chance for the Gryphons to claim their second set-victory of the season. The Bears would not go down easily, scoring four straight points just minutes later to take a 24-23 lead and find themselves at set point. It would be Massey to tie the set up at 24 with a kill assisted by fellow senior Paris before Ralph Calle-Schulz would win the set for the Gryphons with a service ace following an attacking error by the Bears.

The third set saw the Gryphons take a small lead early and hold on to that lead throughout the set. Despite some small runs by the Bears, the Gryphons remained in control until a 12-12 tie brought the set to a stalemate with an important 2-1 set advantage on the line. A kill by Derek Hickman would jumpstart a 6-1 scoring run by the Gryphons which would give them a 19-13 lead that they would carry into a 2-1 set lead after one of Massey's 16 kills secured the set. 

Entering the fourth set with a 2-1 lead, the Gryphons were in position to close out the match, but the Bears would not give up, pulling ahead by a score of 13-11 following two consecutive Sarah Lawrence errors. The Gryphons would then rally for six straight points to reclaim the lead by a score of 17-13 but the Bears would end the set scoring ten of the final 14 points to send the match into a fifth and deciding set.

In the final period, the Bears would continue their success, jumping out to a 7-1 lead before the Gryphons would force two St. Joseph's timeouts as they rushed back to trail just 12-10 after kills from Roney and Massey. Despite the late rally from Sarah Lawrence, the Bears used one of Alex Helfant's match-high 20 kills to seal the victory.

Up Next

The Gryphons (0-12, Skyline 0-7) will return to play on Thursday March 23rd as they host Yeshiva for another 7:00 p.m. Skyline men's volleyball showdown at the Campbell Sports Center. The Gryphons will head to Jersey City, N.J. this weekend for a Tri-Match hosted by the the NJCU Gothic Knights that will also feature Mount Saint Vincent. The Gryphons will take the court at 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. while the Gothic Knights and Dolphins will round out the day with a 3:00 p.m. match.