Men's Volleyball: Lasers finish February with 8-0 record after two wins at Elms

CHICOPEE, Mass. - Freshman Jordan Shinaut of the Lasell University men's volleyball team finished with a combined 33 kills and eight total blocks during victories over Great Northeast Athletic Conference-foe Elms, 3-0, and non-conference-opponent Elizabethtown, 3-1, on Saturday at Elms.

The Lasers (10-5, 5-0 GNAC) went 8-0 in February and have won 10-of-11 matches, dating back to Jan. 22. Junior Jan Baranowski combined for 22 kills and five block assists during the two matches, while junior setter Jesus Garcia compiled 79 assists and 20 digs.

Freshman Alex Weinhaus finished with a total of 22 digs in the two matches, while junior Brenden Joyce compiled 14 kills, 10 digs, three total blocks and two service aces. Junior Tucker Merritt tallied 11 kills and 11 total blocks.

"The team started slow today, but once we picked up the momentum, we ran with it," said Joyce. "Our energy on and off the court is also what carried us through our dry spells and kept us pushing through our tough sets. Today was also a good example of how much the team has matured as a whole, especially our freshmen who were calm and efficient when we needed them to be."

Match 1 (Lasell 3, Elms 0):

For the second time in a week, the Lasers swept the Blazers, as Lasell earned a 3-0 victory over Elms on Feb. 19 in the Athletic Center.

Elms started off strong in the first set, taking an 8-3 advantage on an ace by Luis Martinez. The Lasers fought back, and on consecutive points, Shinaut registered an ace and Baranowski tallied a kill, giving Lasell the lead for the first time at 16-15. Back-to-back kills by Shinaut clinched a 25-21 opening-set victory for Lasell.

The Blazers hit the ground running again in the second set, grabbing early leads of 6-1 and 9-4. A kill by Martinez gave the hosts a 17-12 advantage. Lasell countered with an 8-1 surge, as six straight points put the visitors in front, 20-18. Shinaut once again clinched the set with a kill, giving the unit a 26-24 win.

The third set went back and forth, as neither team was able to generate a lead larger than four points. A service point by Shinaut clinched the match and gave the Lasers a 25-21 third-set triumph.

"Elms is one of the scrappiest teams in our conference," said Lasell University Men's Volleyball Head Coach Jeff Vautrin. "Although the Blazers do not have the biggest starting lineup we knew it would be a battle because of their relentless defense. Our guys got off to a slow start today, but we really focused and locked in at the end of each set to secure the sweep. Jordan Shinaut was dominant for us at the net during the match and continues to prove himself as one of the top freshman in our conference. Jesus Garcia also had a great day today, which took some pressure off of our serve receive."

Shinaut led the way with a match-high and career-best 17 kills, to go along with a team-best three aces. Baranowski contributed with 11 kills and three block assists, while Garcia finished with a match-best 33 assists, to go along with 10 digs. Weinhaus led all players with 12 digs and Merritt compiled six kills and a team-leading four total blocks.  

Carlos Mercado posted a team-high nine kills, to go along with 13 assists, for Elms. Other strong performances for the Blazers came from Martinez (15 assists, 6 kills, 4 digs, 4 aces, 2 block assists), Moose Perry (5 kills, 5 total blocks), Antonio Delgado Rolon (8 kills, 5 digs) and Collin Liedke (9 digs).

Match 2 (Lasell 3, Elizabethtown 1):

In the opening set, the Blue Jays took a 21-16 lead on a kill by Nick Chapman. The Lasers scored back-to-back points, but Elizabethtown was able to convert down the stretch and took the first set, 25-20.

The second set was even at 1-1, 2-2, 3-3, 4-4, 5-5 and 9-9. The Lasers built a 20-16 advantage on a kill by Joyce, assisted by Garcia. A block by Baranowski and Shinaut secured a 25-18 second-set win for Lasell and knotted the match a 1-1.

The pivotal third set went down to the wire and required extra points. Elizabethtown had match point, serving with a 27-26 lead, but Joyce responded with back-to-back kills. A block by Merritt and Joyce clinched a 30-28 win.

Lasell put together an outstanding fourth set, ending on a 15-4 run, as a kill by freshman Theo Zaharewicz gave the Lasers a 25-11 victory and ended the match.

"Elizabethtown was a new opponent for us as a program, but we knew it would be ready for battle," said Vautrin. "After a slow first set, we were able to regroup and focus on our game plan. Alex Weinhaus had a very strong performance, which allowed our offense to run extremely smoothly. Our middle duo of Jan Baranowski and Tucker Merritt was extremely successful on the offensive and defensive end tonight, which made this game tilt in Lasell's favor, especially in the fourth set when both middles caught fire. Our middle duo is something special. Jan and Tucker continue to prove that they are two of the top guys at their positions in the conference and nation."

Shinaut led all players with 16 kills, while his 10 digs and seven total blocks were tied for the most in the match. Joyce filled up the box score with 14 kills, seven digs, three total blocks, two assists and one ace. For the second consecutive match, Baranowski recorded 11 kills.

Merritt registered seven total blocks and five kills, while Weinhaus (10 digs) and sophomore Ryan Fuller (9 digs) also played well. Zaharewicz slammed six kills. Garcia came up with a season-high and match-leading 46 assists.

Chapman recorded a team-leading 12 kills for the Blue Jays, while Blake Hildebrand finished with 11 kills and his nine digs were tied for the most on the team. Dan Barckholtz finished with a team-best 34 assists.

Up Next:

The Lasers will compete against No. 1-ranked Springfield Tuesday at 7 p.m. in the Athletic Center.

Director of Athletic Communications Trevor Wenners can be reached at twenners@lasell.edu.

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