OLD WESTBURY, NY-- (
www.YORKATHLETICS.com) York College men's volleyball compiled a season-high in kills, assists, and digs Thursday evening, but were unable to close out the final stanza Thursday evening in a highly competitive 26-28, 25-22, 31-29, 20-25, 15-10 non-conference road setback against the SUNY Old Westbury Panthers (1-5) inside Clark Athletic Center. After winning their last three 5-set matches dating back to 2020, the Cardinals suffered their first 5-set loss since March 5, 2019.
First Set Breakdown
- Sebastian Gomez's service ace got York off to a 4-1 start.
- A trio of kills from Old Westbury's Torrence Frederick leveled the score at six.
- Knotted at nine, a mini 3-0 scoring spree gave the Panthers a 12-9 advantage.
- Ahead 14-13, Old Westbury took a set-high five-point edge (18-13) following a Liam Eisel ace.
- A kill and an ace from Alexis Ramirez sparked a 5-0 burst from the Cardinals to make the score 18 a piece.
- Continuing momentum, a kill by Gomez gave York a 22-20 lead.
- The Panthers found their footing, as Eisel's smackdown generated a set point (24-23).
- Kills by Ramirez and David Heyliger, Jr. saved set points before Gomez's spike finalized a 28-26 result.
Second Set Breakdown
- Heyliger, Jr.'s kill punctuated a 6-2 opening.
- Trailing 8-5, the Panthers utilized a 5-0 spurt to go ahead 10-8.
- A pair of points from Heyliger, Jr. gave York an 11-10 lead.
- After four ties, the Cardinals looked to be pulling away following a Heyliger. Jr. smackdown at 18-15.
- Roaring back, Old Westbury went on an 8-2 surge to take control at 23-20.
- Two kills from Damien Villamil sealed a 25-22 result.
Third Set Breakdown
- Behind 6-5, a 5-1 surge gave York a 10-7 edge.
- Heyliger, Jr.'s spike extended the Cardinals' margin to five (15-10).
- Both sides split the following 16 points, with York maintaining a five-point advantage (23-18).
- A 3-0 spurt from the Panthers made it a 23-21 game, but Gomez responded with a kill to put the Cardinals on the brink.Old Westbury responded with a 4-0 scoring spree to lead 25-24.
- York saved four set points before going ahead 29-28 after a Panther attack error.
- The Cardinals could not hold firm, as Old Westbury claimed the final three points for a 31-29 scoreline.
Fourth Set Breakdown
- Gomez's kill punctuated a 12-4 start.
- Manufacturing points, the Panthers trimmed the deficit to three (15-12) following a kill by Daniel Feliz.
- Slowly rebuilding its lead, York went on a 7-3 run to go up 23-16.
- A pair of aces from Ashel Santos made it a 23-20 scoreline before Gomez's kill capped off a 25-20 fourth frame.
Five Set Breakdown
- Trailing 5-4, a pair of smackdowns by Villamil gave Old Westbury a two-point edge (7-5).
- Heyliger, Jr.'s kill ensured the two-point margin (10-8) remained intact, but that was the closest the Cardinals got the rest of the period.
- Eisel sealed the victory at 15-10 with an ace.
Leading the Cardinals
- Gomez posted his first-career double-double, recording a match-best 26 kills (.327 percentage) to go with 13 digs and three aces.
- Heyliger, Jr. smacked down 19 kills and scooped up a career-high 23 digs (match-high) to notch his seventh-career double-double.
- Ramirez tallied 16 kills on 57 attacks and chipped in with three aces and eight digs.
- Stanley Sanchez leveled his career-high in assists with 55 for the second-consecutive match, which marked York's highest total since March 22, 2014, when Avinash Thomas notched 55 against Kean University.
- Ahmed Algendy provided defensive resistance with 14 digs.
For Old Westbury
- Fredericks produced a team-leading 18 kills (.364 percentage).
- Villamil added 11 kills, 10 digs, and two aces.
- Shane Kield chipped in with nine kills and a match-best six total blocks.
- Feliz smacked down 12 kills (364 percentage).
- Santos (28) and Eisel (27) orchestrated the attack with a combined 55 assists.
Inside the Box Score
Both squads generated 77 points, with York having the upper hand in kills (64-60) and aces (9-8), and the Panthers recording more total blocks (15-8). Additionally, the Cardinals tallied more assists (62-59) and digs (69-61). The 62 assists marked York's highest total since producing 67 against Kean University on March 22, 2014. When attacking, York swung 176 times for a .170 percentage, while Old Westbury registered a .209 percentage on 172 swings.
Up Next
The Cardinals (2-4) commence their 2025 CUNYAC slate Sunday (Feb. 23) with a road meeting against the Baruch College Bearcats (4-7, 3-0 CUNYAC), beginning at 3:30 p.m. inside ARC Arena.
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