Brooklyn, N.Y. - January 14, 2022 - In their first match of the 2022 season, the Springfield College men's volleyball team earned a three-set victory over LIU-Brooklyn on Friday night by the set scores of 25-22, 25-14, 25-20. 

Springfield, which was ranked No. 2 in the preseason NVA/AVCA Division III Preseason Poll, improved to 1-0.  LIU-Brooklyn, a Division I school that is in its inaugural season, dropped to 0-3 on the year. 

The Pride hit .338 in the victory as Ethan Weislo (Orchard Park, N.Y.) made his collegiate debut and handed out 31 assists to go along with six digs and three blocks.  The outside hitter duo of Brennen Brandow (Manorville, N.Y.) and Liam York (Kailua, Hawaii) combined for 23 kills and both hit at least .381, while Nate Reynolds (Baltimore, Md.) and Chris Parker (East Northport, N.Y.) delivered 14 kills on 17 errorless attempts in the middle.  Johjan Mussa Robles (Caguas, Puerto Rico) had a match-best 15 digs and Parker totaled a match-high five blocks as Springfield limited LIU to a .062 hitting percentage.  

After the hosts jumped out to a 5-1 lead in the opening set, Springfield used a 12-6 run capped off by a block from York and Parker to open up a 13-11 cushion. The Sharks would battle back to tie the set on four occasions, the last coming at 21-all, only to have the Pride score the next three points, highlighted by a block and kill form Giancarlo Carrion (Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico), to take control.  York would later bury his sixth kills of the set to wrap up the 25-22 victory. 

Springfield raced out to a 9-2 lead in the set set, but the hosts would claw their way back to get within 14-9 following a Pride miscue.  Springfield responded with three-straight kills and coasted to a 25-14 win as Weislo ended the frame with back-to-back blocks.  Brandow carried the offense with five kills in the set, while the Pride as a squad limited LIU to a -.057 team hitting percentage.

Reynolds buried a ball out of the middle to give Springfield a 16-11 advantage in the third, but LIU would respond with a 6-2 surge to make it a one-point set.  Brandow answered with consecutive kills to force LIU into a timeout.  The Pride wrapped up the three-set sweep on Reynolds third kill of the set for the 25-20 win as Springfield held a 15-6 advantage in kills in the frame, led by five off the arm of Brandow. 

The Pride will open up Division III competition next weekend when it travels to New Jersey to face 9th-ranked Rutgers-Newark and Ramapo.  

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