Box score
BANNER ELK, N.C. --- The Lees-McRae College
men's volleyball team recorded 14 blocks and held Sacred Heart
University to a sub-zero hitting percentage en route to a
straight-set sweep in non-conference play on Tuesday evening.
Lees-McRae (7-6) won the match by scores of 25-18, 25-15, and
25-15, holding Sacred Heart (4-14) to a -0.22 clip on the attack
while posting a .270 hitting percentage of its own. The Bobcats
registered 14 blocks (one solo, 26 assists) and 26 digs on the
night, as Sacred Heart dug out 27 Bobcat attacks.
Matt Harpenau (Cincinnati, Ohio) posted a team-high seven kills
on 11 swings for the Bobcats, recording a hitting percentage of
.636 and adding six block assists. Joshua Jones (Christmas, Fla.)
chipped in five kills and a match-high eight blocks (one solo,
seven assists), as John Lucas (Cincinnati, Ohio) added six block
assists and four smashes.
Efrain Negron (Caguas, Puerto Rico) recorded a team-high seven
digs, as Chris Flood (Louisville, Ky.) added six digs of his own.
Randy Ramirez (Guaynabo, Puerto Rico) chipped in 19 assists and six
block assists.
Nick Hunt led the way for Sacred Heart with a match-high 14
kills, as Garrett Minyard and Mike Komlanc added five and four
smashes, respectively. John Lutjen and Adrian Fernandez chipped in
match-highs of 26 assists and nine digs, respectively.
Lees-McRae started off strong, opening a 17-11 lead in the first
set on a Jones service ace to cap a 4-0 spurt. Sacred Heart would
cut the advantage to 22-18 with a 7-5 spurt before the Bobcats
responded, tallying three straight points to close out the set on a
kill by Jones.
The Bobcats carried the momentum into the second set, taking an
early 11-5 lead before Sacred Heart responded with a 4-1 spurt to
trim the margin to 12-9 on a service ace by Enzo Mackenzie.
Lees-McRae answered with a 5-2 run, pushing the lead to 17-11 on a
Flood kill.
The Pioneers responded once again, trimming the margin to 19-15
on a kill by Jason Kinney before the Bobcats countered with a 6-0
run to close out the set and take a commanding 2-0 lead in the
match.
The Bobcats continued to dictate play in the third frame,
opening an early 14-7 advantage on back-to-back miscues by the
Pioneers. After Lees-McRae pushed the margin to 19-11, the Bobcats
would close out the set with a 6-4 spurt that was capped by an
emphatic block by Ramirez and Jones.
Lees-McRae returns to the court on Friday, March 16 when the
Bobcats host New Jersey Institute of Technology at 7 p.m. in
Williams Gymnasium.
- LMC -
