Old Westbury, NY---The Brooklyn College men's volleyball team played to a non-conference split on the day in a trimatch hosted by SUNY Old Westbury on Saturday. In their first match of the afternoon, the Bulldogs dropped a 3-1 (25-22, 25-18, 20-25, 25-19) decision to Pratt Institute before defeating the host, 3-2 (25-19, 16-25, 25-20, 15-25, 15-11), to close out the day. BC snaps a six-match skid with the win, moving to 4-7 overall.
Next Up:
BC –2, Pratt- 3
After defeating the host in the first match of the day, 3-0, Pratt rallied for five straight scores after being down, 22-20, down the stretch to take the first set. The Cannoneers jumped out to a 9-3 lead to start the second set and never looked back to go up 2-0.
Brooklyn wouldn't fold right away, while trailing 12-5 in the third set, BC mustered together a five-score rally, sparked by a kill put away by Armand Kaloshi. The Bulldogs' continued to find their way and following a key 3-0 run beginning with an Aaron Siu kill followed up by a Tommy Min service ace, BC held a 19-15 lead. Brooklyn would eventually close out the set on a kill finished by Omar Shawki.
The tables seemed to be turning for Brooklyn as they took an 11-6 lead to start the fourth set. Still leading 19-15, Pratt won the match on nine straight scores.
Pratt finished with 26 hitting errors to the Bulldogs' 33.
Siu led the way with a team-high 12 kills and 11 digs. Kaloshi finished with 10 digs and four digs. In his first match of the season, Aziz Abdusamiev had three blocks (two solo).
BC- 3, Old Westbury- 2
Playing in their fourth five set match of the season, Brooklyn got off to a slow start against the Panthers, BC would find themselves in a 5-0 hole in the opening set. However, Brooklyn quickly clawed their way back into the set, eventually tying it, 11-11, after a four-score rally capped by a Jiaian Fkanders service ace. Trailing 15-14, Brooklyn took the lead for good beginning with a six-point rally started by a Shawki kill and ending with a Shawki ace. OW responded in the second set, jumping out to a 3-0 lead and never looking back.
Clinging to an 18-17 lead in the third set, Brooklyn created the distance they needed to close out the set thanks in part to three unanswered scores highlighted by back-to-back Flanders kills. The Panthers answered the call again in the fourth set by going on a nine-score rally to take a 15-6 lead and eventually force a deciding set.
BC would trail early in the fifth set, 4-3, before taking the lead for good beginning with a 3-0 run sparked by Abdusamiev kill. A Siu kill would give Brooklyn a 13-9 lead and enough breathing room to secure the match.
Siu finished with a match-high 15 kills and a team-high 17 digs. Kaloshi added nine kills and came up with six digs. Min set for a match-high 23 assists.
