Springfield, Mass. - February 14, 2020 - The Springfield College men's volleyball team earned a three-set sweep over Johnson & Wales on Friday night in Blake Arena by the scores of 25-18, 25-21, 25-19.

Springfield pushed its winning streak to 10 matches to improve to 11-1 on the 2020 campaign.  The Pride entered the match ranked No. 1 in the country according to this week's AVCA Division III National Coaches Poll.  The Wildcats had their five-match winning streak snapped as they dipped to 8-8. 

The Pride finished the night with a .442 team hitting percentage and totaled 46 kills in three sets.  Matt Lilley (Stony Brook, N.Y.) directed the offense with 37 assists, while Brennen Brandow (Manorville, N.Y.) led all players with 14 kills at a .524 clip.  Jarrett Anderson (San Jose, Calif.) turned in 12 kills and four aces, Chris Parker (East Northport, N.Y.) chipped in 10 kills on 13 errorless attempts in the middle, and Johjan Mussa Robles (Caguas, Puerto Rico) registered a match-high 11 digs. The Pride had 10 aces on the night and owned a 28-15 edge in digs. 

Springfield opened up a 9-6 lead when Brandow hammered out a ball out of the backrow early in the first set, only to have the visitors pull within 15-14 on a Springfield attack error that sailed long.  Consecutive kills from Liam York (Kailua, Hawaii) and Anderson forced the Wildcats into a timeout at 17-14, and out of the break, Springfield heated up from the end line, ripping four aces, including three from Anderson, to push their advantage to 23-15. The Pride would eventually take the 25-18 win on Brandow's sixth kill of the set.

In the second, Springfield battled back from a 7-4 deficit to knot things at seven-all when Anderson jammed a kill off the block.  However, the visitors would put together a 5-2 run to break open a 10-all contest as the Pride whistled for a timeout trailing 15-12.  The Wildcats would maintain a three-point cushion at 18-15 before Parker took over, registering three-consecutive kills and adding an ace as part of a 10-3 surge which gave the Pride the 25-21 win.  Anderson, who had six kills in the set, ended the frame by blistering his fourth ace of the night at set point.  

Springfield's offense was clicking in the third as the hosts totaled 18 kills at a .577 hitting percentage, fueled by another six kills from Brandow.  After a back-and-forth start which resulted in nine ties, Springfield rattled off a 5-1 burst thanks to a pair of aces from Astin Sesoko (Corona, Calif.) and the Wildcats called for a timeout down 14-11.  Anderson bounced a ball down the line to make it a 19-14 contest, and the Pride used a 5-1 run capped off by another Brandow kill to earn set point at 24-15.  Five points later, Brandow sealed the victory with his 14th kill of the night in the 25-19 triumph. 

The Pride will not play again until next Thursday when it travels to New Hampshire to face Rivier for a 6 pm tilt.

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