NEW YORK — The Pratt Institute men's volleyball team earned a thrilling non-conference road victory on Monday night, defeating Yeshiva University in four tightly contested sets, 3-1 (25-22, 19-25, 25-23, 26-24), at the Max Stern Athletic Center.
Pratt (2-4) displayed tremendous grit to win three sets decided by three points or less, including the clinching the match in the fourth in extra points. Senior Max Wang (Shenzhen, China) led the black-and-gold with an impressive double-double, recording a team-high 12 kills to go with 14 digs and a match-best four service aces. Morvens Regis (Brooklyn, N.Y.) was a force at the net, slamming 11 kills and adding two solo blocks.
The Cannoneers featured a balanced effort across the court. Micah-Jude Upshaw (Baltimore, Md.) chipped in nine kills and two aces. Setter Nathan Kim (Irvine, Calif.) dished out 35 assists while adding eight digs and two aces of his own. The defensive effort was a key to victory, with Griffin Benkovszky (Ashland, Va.) and Raymond Liang (Queens, N.Y.) joining Wang in double-digits with 11 digs apiece.
The Cannoneers started strong in the opening set, jumping out to a commanding 8-1 lead behind a five-point service run from Wang that included two aces. The Maccabees mounted a furious 7-0 rally midway through the set and pulled within one at 21-20, but Pratt regrouped down the stretch, getting a timely kill from Regis to secure the 25-22 win.
After Yeshiva evened the match in the second, the third set proved to be another back-and-forth battle. The hosts appeared to seize control late, building a 22-18 advantage. Refusing to quit, the black-and-gold staged a remarkable 7-1 run to steal the set. The comeback was capped by a clutch 5-0 service run from Upshaw, which included two kills from Wang, and an Upshaw ace to give Pratt a pivotal 25-23 victory.
The fourth set was the most dramatic of all, featuring eight ties as neither team could create separation. The score was knotted at 24-24 in a tense finish when Wang rose to the occasion with a crucial kill to give the Cannoneers match point. Benkovszky followed on the next point with the decisive kill to seal the hard-fought 26-24 win.
Yeshiva (0-3) was paced by an outstanding performance from Mateusz Karpow, who finished with a match-high 15 kills and 17 digs for a double-double of his own. Alex Kirievsky added six kills for the Maccabees.
The Cannoneers remains on the road and travels to face SUNY Old Westbury on Thursday, Feb. 12. The match is scheduled for a 7 p.m. start.
