BROOKLYN, N.Y. — The Pratt Institute men's volleyball team opened United East Conference play with a thrilling four-set victory over the University of Valley Forge, 3-1 (26-24, 25-15, 26-28, 25-23), on Friday night at the Activities Resource Center.
The win snaps a three-game skid for Pratt (3-7, 1-0 United East), which starts its league campaign on a high note. Valley Forge moves to 4-7 (0-1 United East) on the season.
The Cannoneers were powered by a dynamic offensive performance from senior Max Wang (Shenzhen, China) and first-year Arturo Mata (Chicago, Ill.). Wang finished with a match-high 22 points on 16 kills and six service aces. Mata was exceptional, slamming 15 kills on a .333 hitting effort while adding three aces and five digs.
Pratt dominated from the service line, blistering the Patriots for 17 aces as a team. Nathan Kim (Irvine, Calif.) was sensational, dealing seven aces to go along with 42 assists – both career highs – and seven digs. Defensively, Griffin Benkovszky (Ashland, Va.) anchored the back row with a match-high 17 digs, while Raymond Liang (Queens, N.Y.) added 11. Morvens Regis (Brooklyn, N.Y.) chipped in eight kills and two blocks (one solo).
The match was a back-and-forth affair from the start, with three sets decided by the slimmest of margins. A tight opening frame saw Pratt prevail 26-24 after nine ties and four lead changes and Mata and Wang combing for 10 kills. The Cannoneers opened the second set on a 10-1 run and cruised to a 25-15 win.
The Patriots battled back to steal a marathon third set, 28-26, with 12 ties and six lead changes and the visitors fighting off two match points before converting on their second set point. But Pratt showed its resilience, rebounding to close out the match with a tight 25-23 victory in the fourth, never trailing in the fame, and Mata delivering the match-sealing kill..
Valley Forge was led by a 14-kill effort from Drew White, who hit an impressive .400 for the match. Isaiah Reece added 11 kills and eight digs for the visitors.
The Cannoneers continue their conference slate on the road, traveling to Langhorne, Pa., to face Cairn University on Monday, Feb. 23. First serve is scheduled for 7 p.m.
