Monday, March 7, 2011 (Newton, Massachusetts) – The Mount Ida College men's volleyball team dropped their fifth straight match spilling over from the weekend's tournament with their eighth Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) loss of 2011 falling 3-1 to visiting Lasell College Monday night by scores of 21-25, 25-20, 16-25, and 14-25. The Mustangs drop to an overall record of 6-16 and slouch to 2-8 in conference play while the visitors improve to 14-12 on the year and a even 4-4 for third in the GNAC standings thus far.
The Mustangs jumped out to a strong five point lead up 7-2 following a 5-0 run capped off on a solo block by junior Franklin McCaffrey (East Greenwich, RI/East Greenwich) to open game one. The visitors knotted the score at 10-10 going on an 8-3 run after a kill by senior Micah Aiu (Honolulu, HI/Kamehaneha). No more than two points would separate the squads through the next couple of points until the visitors powered a 6-0 run to lead 19-13 following multiple Mount Ida mistakes. The Mustangs cut the deficit to four points down 20-16 capped on a junior McCoy Arnoux (Brockton, MA/Brockton) kill. The Lasers ultimately rode out the 25-21 game one win on a final point solo block by Aiu for the 1-0 match lead.
Game two opened with the Mustangs leading 8-6 after consecutive kills by sophomore Spencer Hastings (Orlando, FL/Timber Creak). Mount Ida held onto the lead but no more than two points separated the teams with the hosts holding a 15-13 advantage after an error by the visitors. The Mustangs kept the momentum going up 20-16 after a senior Thomas Belton (Springfield, MA/Springfield Central) kill. That's as close as the Lasers would get while the Mustangs captured a 25-20 win in game two tying the match at 1-1.
It was close to open game three with the score knotting four times in the opening six points up until the Lasers snatched a small 9-7 lead following a sophomore Spencer Parker (Newington, CT/Newington) kill. The visitors never relinquished the advantage going ahead by six points up 17-11 after a kill by Lasers sophomore Max Vaughan (Wethersfield, CT/Wethersfield). Lasell eventually blew open the game going ahead by a game high 11 points leading 24-13 after a massive block by Parker. The Lasers ultimately finished off the game three win, 25-16, for the 2-1 match lead.
Lasell opened up a 9-4 game four lead following a couple of Mustang errors. The visiting lead inflated to 15-7 capped off on an Aiu service ace. The visitors continued to pound the offense and capitalize on Mount Ida errors leading 18-10 after a Parker kill. Mount Ida pulled within seven points (20-13) after a kill by Arnoux. Unfortunately for the Mustangs, the visitors finished off the final five of six points for the 25-14 game four victory and the 3-1 GNAC match victory.
The Mustangs were led by Hastings with 14 kills and 12 digs to snatch the double-double along with two block assists. Belton wasn't far behind with 12 kills and one solo block while Arnoux added four kills and two block assists. Senior setter Shane Wilson (Gloucester, MA/Gloucester) dished out 32 assists.
Mount Ida will host GNAC foe Johnson & Wales University this coming Wednesday with game time slated for 7:00 p.m.