BROOKLYN, N.Y. — Brooks Reid slammed a career- and match-high 17 kills to lead three Cannoneers registering double-digit kills as the Pratt Institute men's volleyball team rallied after dropping the opening set to notch a 3-1 triumph over St. Joseph's University (Brooklyn) on Thursday evening at the Activity Resource Center.
With the victory, Pratt wraps up their non-conference schedule at 6-6 overall and snaps a five-match skid to their Willoughby Avenue rivals with their first win since 2016 in the series.
Reid finished the night hitting .233 and brought up a team-high eight digs with a block. Jason Raymond and Max Wang both finished with 10 kills apiece to join Reid in double figures. Wang hit .273 and landed a match-best four aces to go along with seven digs and two blocks (one solo). Raymond recorded a .261 hitting night with two aces and three blocks. Nathan Kim matched his career high of 33 assists with six digs and two blocks.
St. Joseph's (1-2) took a highly-contested opening set that featured 15 ties and 10 lead changes and neither team ahead by more than three points. Pratt built a three-point lead at 13-10 before SJBK ran off three straight to pull even. Both teams went blow for blow until 19-all and the Bears won three straight and held on for a 25-23 win.
The Cannoneers stormed back to level the match with a convincing second set, racing out to a 14-5 lead and cruising to a 25-14 win as the Bears committed 16 miscues in the frame.
The Bears regained the momentum in the early part of the third set opening a 9-4 advantage and still holding on to a five-point cushion at 16-11. Pratt rallied with a 6-1 run to pull even at 17-all St. Joseph's briefly took the lead at 22-21, but the gold-and-black closed out the frame on a 4-1 spurt powered by a Reid ace and Wang kill to win 25-23.
In the fourth, Pratt rattled off four straight to jump start a 9-1 run for a 13-5 lead and remained on top for good. The Cannoneers offense rolled in the fourth combining for 16 kills and a .303 hitting frame — Reid and Raymond slamming six each — to close out the victory.
Jeremias Martinez led St. Joseph's with 12 kills on .269 hitting while Mark Belov added seven at a .462 clip.
Riding the momentum of a two-match win streak, Pratt turns their focus to their United East Conference schedule beginning play on Wednesday, March 5, hosting Bryn Athyn College in a 7 p.m. showdown at the ARC.
