ANNANDALE-ON-HUDSON, N.Y. – The SUNY Poly men's volleyball team moved one step closer to securing a spot in the NEVC Playoffs after a hard-fought four-set victory over the Bard College Raptors. Peter Gottler and Adam Brawn led the Wildcats offensively, while Joshua Slater and Andrew Baaki anchored the defense. With the win, SUNY Poly improves to 17-11 on the season.

HOW IT HAPPENED: 

The opening set was a tight battle. Bard's early offense was led by Pearse Esposito and Sidney Stein.  However, SUNY Poly's offensive firepower, spearheaded by Corey Hollingsworth and Zach Latino, proved to be the difference. Hollingsworth, in particular, was on fire, delivering multiple kills off assists from Joshua Slater. Bard kept the pressure on with some strong plays, but errors, including a few service mistakes, allowed the Wildcats to pull ahead in the latter stages. With a mix of strong hitting from Peter Gottler and strategic playmaking from Slater, SUNY Poly held on for a 25-22 win in the first set.

Bard came out strong in the second set, with both teams exchanging points in a thrilling back-and-forth. Bard's Sidney Stein and Waisler stepped up with key kills, while SUNY Poly's Hollingsworth and Slater answered with some powerful plays. The set was tightly contested and went into extra points. Bard ultimately prevailed with a 28-26 victory,

 

The combination of Slater's precision setting and offensive contributions from Hollingsworth, Latino, and Gottler would prove to be too much for Bard in the third set. Bard's efforts were led by Stein, who had a few standout kills, but they couldn't find the rhythm they needed to mount a serious comeback. A few crucial errors from Bard, especially from their attacking side, allowed SUNY Poly to keep pushing forward. With their steady defense and offensive firepower, the Wildcats closed out the third set 25-19. 

The fourth set proved to be a dramatic finish to an already intense match. Bard came out strong, led by Esposito, Pearse and Stein, but SUNY Poly refused to back down. After a strong start from both teams, the set saw numerous lead changes. SUNY Poly's resilience showed through as they rallied behind powerful kills from Gottler, Hollingsworth, and Brawn. Despite Bard's best efforts, including multiple kills by Waisler and Esposito, SUNY Poly held on and managed to close out the match with a 25-23 victory.