BROOKLYN, N.Y. — The Pratt Institute men's volleyball team dropped a hard-fought non-conference match to Sarah Lawrence College, 3-0 (25-18, 26-24, 25-15), on Friday night at the Activity Resource Center.
Pratt (0-2) was led by a brilliant offensive performance from senior Max Wang (Shenzhen, China), who recorded a match-high 14 kills on an efficient .375 hitting percentage. Sarah Lawrence (1-1) evened its record behind a strong defensive effort at the net.
Griffin Benkovszky (Ashland, Va.) added eight kills and five digs for the Cannoneers. Nathan Kim (Irvine, Calif.) orchestrated the attack with 20 assists, while first-year Arturo Mata (Chicago, Ill.) anchored the defense with a team-best eight digs.
The turning point came in a thrilling second set that featured nine ties and five lead changes. Trailing late, Pratt mounted a rally with Wang at the service line, firing back-to-back aces to give the Cannoneers a 22-21 lead. After trading points, a kill from Kim gave Pratt set point at 24-23, but the visitors scored the final three points to take the commanding 2-0 match lead.
The Gryphons used a mid-set run to take the opening frame and controlled the third set to close out the victory.
Jack Cahill matched Wang's offensive output with 14 kills to lead Sarah Lawrence. Mikel Miller was a force at the net, finishing with six kills and five solo blocks. Setter Alex Xie facilitated their offense with 21 assists and three aces.
Monday's scheduled home match against Medgar Evers College has been rescheduled to February 28 due the incoming winter storm. The Cannoneers will now return to action on Wednesday, January 28 heading to Manhattanville University for their first road test of the season.
