(Hoboken, NJ) – One of the toughest stretches of matches this season is finally over, and while Mount Saint Vincent finished the stretch 0-5, with four losses against nationally ranked teams and a fifth against a top Division II program, the young Dolphin team proved to be nothing short of respectable against the very best the nation has to offer. On Saturday, the Mount put forth a respectable effort once again as they were swept by Stevens, the nation's seventh ranked team, and Division II powerhouse Lee's McRae, during a tri-match at Stevens. With the losses, Mount Saint Vincent falls to 5-13 overall, including a 2-5 mark in NECVA Metro play.
Against Stevens, sophomore Arnold Ross (Wilton, ME/Mount Blue HS) had a team-high five kills, while junior Marcus Frederic (Queens, NY/Holy Cross) added a match-high eight digs, but the Dolphins were swept by Stevens – the top-ranked team in the NECVA – 8-30, 18-30, 18-30. Mount Saint Vincent had a negative attack percentage for the first time this season as they amassed only 17 total kills while committing 29 attacking errors. The Dolphins were overwhelmed by a deeper Stevens team as the Ducks not only enjoyed the attacking advantage, but they also held an 11-1 edge in total blocks, and Stevens combined for 35 digs, while the Mount had only 23. The Dolphins did have another outstanding effort by freshman setter Chris Dotoratos (Bronx, NY/Salesian), who notched a team-high 16 assists.
Following their loss to Stevens, the Mount lined up for a match against Lees-McRae in which they were swept 14-30, 10-30, and 22-30. Senior Russell Butts (Long Beach, NY/Long Beach HS) and freshman T.J. Pufahl (Bethpage, NY/Bethpage HS) each registered six kills, while junior Dan Williams (Brick Township, NJ/St. Rose) had a tremendous defensive match with team highs in both digs (9) and total blocks (3). Dotoratos added a team-high 16 assists. The Dolphins once again had a negative attack percentage, but they had only three more errors than kills against a Lees-McRae team that would later beat Stevens.
Mount Saint Vincent will look to break its losing streak on Monday, March 6 when they return home to host NECVA Metro foe Polytechnic at 7:00 p.m. The Dolphins swept Polytechnic, 3-0, on Jan. 25.
