Boston, Mass. - February 2, 2016 - The Springfield College men's volleyball team rebounded from dropping the opening set to defeat Emmanuel in four sets on Tuesday evening by the set scores of 23-25, 25-16, 25-9, 25-13.

Springfield, which is again ranked the top-ranked Division III team in the country according to today's American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) National Coaches Preseason Poll, improves to 8-1 on the season, 6-0 against Division III teams.

Greg Woods (Middletown, Conn.) led all players with 16 kills, five digs, and four blocks while hitting at a .440 clip.  Luis Vega (Corozal, Puerto Rico), who was named the AVCA Division III National Player of the Week on Tuesday afternoon, added 11 kills and eight digs, Julian Welsh-White (Collingswood, N.J.) totaled six blocks, and five kills, and Ricardo Padilla Ayala (San Juan, Puerto Rico) chipped in a match-best 10 digs and three aces. Luis Garcia Rubio (Bayamon, Puerto Rico) registered 32 assists in the win in leading Springfield to a .346 hitting perentage, including a combined .515 in the final three sets.  Springfield finished the match with 10.0 team blocks and eight service aces.

The hosts Saints jumped out to a 3-0 lead to begin the match, and Springfield head coach Charlie Sullivan did not hesitate in calling an early timeout.  The Pride would even things at 8-8 on an ace from Garcia Rubio, and eventually earn a 14-10 cushion following five-straight Saint miscues and an ace from Padilla Ayala.  The hosts answered back with a 9-1 burst to regain a 19-15 lead, only to have the Pride pour on six-straight points to open a 21-19 lead following a block from Welsh-White and Garcia Rubio. However, the Saints closed out the set on a 6-2 surge, taking the set 25-23, as Springfield managed just two kills and hit -.294.

The Pride stormed out of the second set, using a trio fo Welsh-White blocks and a pair of kills from Vega to open up a quick 8-1 lead.  Emmanuel would get as close as four on five different occassions, the last coming at 15-11, before Woods hammered three kills to fuel a 7-2 push that was capped off by a triple block from Garcia Rubio, Welsh-White, and Woods to put Springfield ahead 22-15.  The Pride, which hit .400 in the frame behind five kills from Vega, evened the match at a set apiece after a 25-16 win.

Facing a 5-4 decifit in the third set, Springfield rattled off six-straight points, with Joseth Irizarry Feliciano (Adjuntas, Puerto Rico) and Padilla Ayala combining for a stuff to put the Pride ahead 10-5.  After Emmanuel climbed within 12-7, Springfield closed out the set on a 13-2 run to ease to a 25-9 win.  The visitors continue to thrive on the offensive side of the ball, hitting at a .500 clip, with Woods leading the way with five kills.

Both teams came out firing in the fourth set until the Pride broke open its 8-7 lead with a 9-1 burst, featuring three-consecutive kills from Welsh-White to force the hosts into a timeout trailing 17-8.  After two-straight points by the Saints out of the break, Springfield used two kills and an ace from Woods to cruise to a 25-13 win to complete the four-set win.

Springfield will now prepare to host the Volleyball Hall of Fame Morgan Classic this weekend as it welcomes NYU, Harvard and the University of Puerto Rico Mayaguez to Blake Arena.  Springfield will face 8th-ranked NYU on Friday at 7:30 pm.