SPRINGFIELD, MA (February 10, 2023) -- After dropping their opening set, 25-23, the King's College men's volleyball team preserved their unbeaten season as they won the next three sets to take the match, 3-1, over the host American International to start their weekend trip in Massachusetts. With the win, King's improves to 11-0, while the Yellow Jackets fall to 1-11.
 
King's (11-0) started the match strong, using two kills from senior Joe Herman to take an early 4-0 lead over the Yellow Jackets. After the teams traded points, American International (1-11) went on a 10-2 run to take a 15-12 lead over the Monarchs. King's would keep it close down the stretch, coming within one point several times, but the Yellow Jackets would hold on to win the opening set, 25-23.
 
The second set featured seven ties and two lead changes to start as neither team could string together more than two points at a time. American International broke through first as they rattled off four points in the middle of the set to take a 15-13 lead over King's. The Monarchs would rally to tie the set at 18 a piece, but the Yellow Jackets would have an answer as they scored the next four points and led, 22-18. The Monarchs would not allow themselves to go down two sets in the match as they battled back with one, 25-24, and used three consecutive points to end the set, 27-25, and tie the match, 1-1.
 
The Monarchs carried that momentum into the third set, using an early 7-4 lead to maintain control throughout the set on their way to a 25-19 victory and to lead the match, 2-1.
 
Just as in much of the match, American International started the set strong as they held a 7-5 lead over the Monarchs. The final set of the match was a true battle that featured 11 ties and five lead changes down the stretch, but with the set tied at 23, kills from senior Sam Capwell and junior Jared Piontkowski secured the set, 25-23, and the match, 3-1, for King's.
 
Piontkowski recorded a double-double in the match, going 14-for-28 to hit .321 with 11 digs and a block. Herman also finished with double-digit kills with 11, adding nine digs and five blocks, while Capwell added nine kills on 16 attempts, hitting .500, with six blocks. Sophomore Nick Greenawalt also performed well with nine kills and three blocks, and first year Owen McFadden rounded out the top performances at the net with eight kills on 14 attempts with no errors, hitting .571, with a team-high eight blocks. Senior Aziz Atiyeh led the back-line defensive effort with 13 digs, while first year Ben Maskiell dished out 28 assists with three aces.
 
John Rivera Ortiz led all players with 23 kills and 14 digs, while Alejandro Miranda added 18 kills. Robert Santana rounded out the top Yellow Jacket performers with 15 kills and 14 digs.
 
King's was efficient in the match, hitting .338 with 54 kills on 130 attacks with just 10 errors. The defense limited the Yellow Jackets to a .260 hitting percentage with 29 attack errors. The Monarchs also edged out American International in blocks (14-3).
 
The Monarchs will wrap up their weekend road trip in Franklin, MA and Dean College for a non-conference tri-match with the host Dean and Northern Vermont University – Johnson. Action is set to begin at 1:00 p.m.