BRONXVILLE, N.Y. - The Sarah Lawrence men's volleyball team kicked off Saturday's tri-match with a clean sweep of York College before falling to Dean in straight sets to end the day. The Gryphons took down the Cardinals by set scores of 25-21, 25-13 and 25-15 with a pair of first years combining for 22 kills.
Notable Performers
- Jack Cahill totaled 26 kills and 15 digs for the Gryphons
- Mikel Miller had 17 kills and three aces
- Alex Xie racked up 56 assists and currently sits at 998 career assists
Match 1: SLC defeats York 3-0
The Gryphons and Cardinals went toe-to-toe early, tying at seven points apiece despite an early pair of conversions by Miller. Xie contributed three kills on top of consistent setting, but it was a mid-set surge led by Cahill that propelled the Gryphons into the lead. After taking a 23-14 lead, the visitors took seven of the following eight points to pull within three, but a service error by the Cardinals secured a first-set SLC victory. The second set started with a short York run before kills from
Aidan Roney and Cahill, along with a combo block by the pair, gave the hosts a 6-3 lead. A mid-set five-point swing that was fueled by Miller allowed the Gryphons to take a 16-9 lead into the final stretch of the set, threatening to end the match in a timely fashion. Roney and
Jackson Perhaes contributed kills down the stretch while also teaming up for a block before Roney sealed the set with two late aces. Roney got the team going with an early kill in the third, with the Gryphons jumping ahead 5-1. After contributions from across the court, the Gryphons led 13-4 with all of the momentum on their side. The Cardinals narrowed the gap to 18-14 after a double block, but the hosts took seven of the final eight points of the match, including a Cahill ace to reach match point.
Match 2: Dean defeats SLC 3-0
The Bulldogs took down the Gryphons in straight sets for revenge over their early-season loss to the hosts. Xie, Roney, Cahill, Perhaes and Miller all contributed early, but the Bulldogs remained firmly in control after taking a 9-4 lead.
Ethan Look added a late-set kill, but the Bulldogs five of the final six points of the first set to jump ahead 1-0. The second set was doomed from the onset for SLC, falling behind 10-2 early. The Gryphons trailed 18-8 before surging back to trail just 23-20. Dean responded by reaching set point, before Cahill and Xie found eachother for kills in back-to-back rallies, bringing the Gryphons within two points of the lead, but a second-set sealing kill by the Bulldogs put the visitors up 2-0. The third set saw another strong Dean start, jumping out to a 5-0 lead before a pair of Cahill kills that stopped the run. The team battled early, with back-to-back double blocks by Miller and Perhaes, but a mid-set run by the Bulldogs put them ahead 16-8. The Gryphons closed the gap to a handful of points on multiple occasions, but the team would be unable to bridge the gap as the visitors escaped with a 25-20 third-set victory, evening the season series between the two teams.
Up Next
The Gryphons (6-4, Skyline 1-0) will return to action next week for a pair of conference contests, starting with a trip up the road to Manhattanville on Wednesday, February 25th before wrapping up the week with a Saturday matchup against Old Westbury.
