BROOKLYN – Pratt Institute wasted no time avenging its 3-0 loss to Yeshiva University in last year's Hudson Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championship, opening 2016 with a 3-0 win (25-20, 25-19, 25-18) over the Maccabees Thursday night in men's volleyball action at the Pratt ARC.
Junior outside hitter David Cutler led all players with 17 kills and completed his double-double with a team-high 10 digs. Sophomore setter Brandon Ryan dished out a match-high 27 assists, and in his first match since last year's season opener, Haven Gordon added nine kills on 15 attacks for a match-best .600 hitting percentage.
For Yeshiva (0-5), freshman Jonathan Korman led the Macs with six kills and a .417 hitting percentage. Sophomore Max Glaser dished out 12 assists in the loss.
Pratt (1-0) scored eight of the night's first nine points, three on kills from Cutler in setting the tone early. Two of senior Andreas Haji-Georgi's team-high three services aces set up game point with Pratt leading 24-19, and a Maccabees service error closed out the Cannoneers 25-20 win.
Back-to-back Cutler kills snapped a 3-3 tie early in the second set, and Ryan paired with Matthew Valentine for a block assist that extended the lead to 9-5. After a Gordon kill, Valentine's service aces closed the door on Pratt's 25-19 Game 2 victory.
With Yeshiva leading 13-12 midway through Game 3, consecutive Gordon kills swung the lead in the host's favor, and the Cannoneers never trailed again. Two more of Gordon's six kills on the set upped the lead to 19-14, and Pratt went on to a 25-18 triumph.
As a team, Pratt hit a stellar .301, holding Yeshiva to .157 hitting as a team. Led by Haji-Georgi's three and two for Valentine, the Cannoneers totaled eight service aces, allowing only four by the Macs, all from sophomore Matthew Rosenburg.
Pratt returns to play Friday night at 7:30 in non-league play at Purchase College.
