Box Score
The Lehman College men's volleyball team (1-1 Overall, 0-0 CUNYAC) picked up its first victory of the 2009 season as the team turned back the Maccabees of Yeshiva University by scores of 28-30, 30-24, 29-31, 30-25, and 15-11 Thursday evening in a non-conference match in New York, NY.
The Lightning showed tremendous grit in the match as the team rallied from a 2-1 set deficit to rally and capture the final two sets. Lehman was led by sophomore standout Jonathan Cruz who put forth a terrific match, as he recorded match-highs in kills with 24 and digs with 23. For the evening, he hit .264. The sensation also helped out on the defensive side with six block assists.
Versatile junior RJ LeBlanc also played a big role in Lehman's first win of the season as he posted 22 kills to go along with 15 digs and three service aces. Junior Nate Martin, who served last season as an outside hitter but is filling the role as setter this season, posted a match-high with a whopping 51 assists while also adding 13 digs, five kills, and three service aces. Following the victory, Head Coach Daniel Skilins gave his thoughts on the match.
“This was a great win for us because we came from behind to nail it down,” Skilins said. “I have to give a lot of credit to Yeshiva University – their program is much improved and they are heading in the right direction. As far as we're concerned, Jonathan was amazing tonight, and RJ really showed intensity from the start. I felt Nate played well as he continues to get comfortable in his role as a setter for us. Hopefully we can carry this momentum into Saturday when we play another tough non-conference match.”
Despite the loss for Yeshiva University, David Kahana led his squad with a team-high 20 kills to go along with 11 digs and three service aces. Also, it was Zanvy Grauman 16 kills and four block solos, and setter Joseph Bajtner did a brilliant job setting, recording 49 assists.
The Lightning will return to action on Saturday afternoon as the team will play its home opener against non-conference opponent Bard College, with match-time at the APEX Center scheduled for 2:00pm.
