Jersey City, NJ - The University of Mount Saint Vincent's men's volleyball team faced the challenging New Jersey City University Gothic Knights on Wednesday night. The visiting Dolphins would ultimately fall to the Gothic Knights in three sets (25-8, 25-11, 25-19). 

The home team maintained control in the first set, capitalizing on mistakes from the Dolphins. Despite successful kills from graduate student James Rose and junior Matthew Barrancos, UMSV struggled to find a rhythm. The Dolphins were resilient going into the second and saw some key plays from Rose and Barrancos yet again. Senior Olatomiwa Ibitayo also contributed which allowed the Dolphins to remain competitive. 

In the third set, UMSV once again put up a fight. Both teams would trade points early on with the help of strong defense from the Dolphins forcing errors from NJCU. A late surge from the Dolphins, powered by back-to-back service aces from Rose and a kill from Ibitayo, helped UMSV close the gap to 24-19. While the Gothic Knights came out on top in the end, head coach Jeremiah Huntt saw a strong and promising performance from his team. 

Rose finished with 8 kills, 3 digs, two service aces, and a block assist, while Ibitayo added 7 kills and two digs. Barrancos registered 16 assists, 3 kills, and a dig. Senior Carlos Martinez led the Dolphins in digs with 7, along with a pair of assists. Freshman Terrence Short also contributed, with two kills and a block assist. 

The Dolphins with face NJCU again at 5 PM on Friday at their Skyline Trimatch hosted by Purchase College. To follow, UMSV will take on the hosting Panthers at 7 PM.