Box Score BRONX, N.Y. – The Lehman College men's volleyball team dropped a hard-fought, 3-2, match to visiting Brooklyn College on Wednesday evening, in the CUNYAC opener for both programs. Set scores were 22-25, 25-17, 25-16, 23-25, 15-13.

The Lightning (3-2, 0-1 CUNYAC) were locked into a fierce match from the onset. In the first set, the score was knotted at 12-12, before Lehman went on an 8-1 run, on the service of junior Andrew Morejon (New Rochelle, N.Y./New Rochelle) and first-year player Ibrahima Soure (Bronx, N.Y./Social Justice). Brooklyn would rally, closing the gap to 23-22, before senior hitter Brian Francisco (Bronx, N.Y./John F. Kennedy) ended the set with a kill, on an assist from Morejon.

In the second set, the Bulldogs (2-3, 1-0 CUNYAC) had an 8-1 run early to take a commanding lead. Lehman would keep it close, but still dropped the set. In the third, Brooklyn continued to roll, taking a 2-1 lead in the match.

The fourth set saw the Lightning rally. With the score tied at 18, Ahmad Abugharbieh (Yonkers, N.Y./Yonkers) and Francisco had back-to-back kills, putting Lehman ahead, 20-18. The lead changed hands again, then was tied again at 22. After a Bulldog hitting error, junior Manuel Bonilla (Bronx, N.Y./Walton) ripped a kill, setting up set-point. Play rallied to and fro, until a BC hitting error sent the match to a fifth and deciding set.

Once again, Brooklyn took the early lead. Bonilla's kill closed the gap early, making the score 7-5, in favor of the guests. Brooklyn maintained a slim lead throughout the final set, winning 15-13.

For the evening, Francisco had a match-high 21 kills, while hitting .164. Setter Luis Colon (Bronx, N.Y./John F. Kennedy) had 34 assists and 13 digs. Francisco added 11 digs.
Lehman will head on the road for the next match, heading to Manhattan on Saturday, February 16, to play Cooper Union.