Purchase Men’s Volleyball Falls to Sage in Skyline First Round

Purchase, NY – The sixth-seeded Purchase men's volleyball team had its championship run cut short Wednesday night, as third-seeded Sage upset the Panthers, 3-0, in the Skyline Conference First Round match hosted by the Gators at Kahl Gym. The Gators took the match by set scores of 25-14, 25-18 and 25-12.

The first set opened as a back-and-forth affair until Sage used two Purchase errors and a kill by Bailey Cecci to slim a 9-3 edge and force a Panther timeout. Out of the break, however, it was all Purchase as the Panthers surged to a 5-1 run to bring them within two points of the Gators.  Sage answered back however, pouring in five-straight, to hold a 15-8 advantage before a kill by Riley Damerell (JR/Rochester, NY) put an end to the run. The Gators remained in front, but the Panthers didn't go down without a fight as Luke Kubisch (FR/Delmar, NY) tallied a kill and service ace that cut Sage's lead to nine, 23-14. Purchase couldn't complete the comeback as the Gators took the set, 25-14.

Purchase fell in an 11-3 hole to start the second set. The Panthers chipped away at the Gators' lead
and pulled within five, 19-14, but Sage answered with two straight kills to stretch the margin back to seven, 21-14. The teams traded points before a kill by Cecci sealed Sage's 25-18 win.

Sage jumped out to a 6-0 lead to open up third frame before a Gator attacking error ended the streak. The Panthers would score the next two points to come within four points of home team, 7-3, but the rally was short-lived as the Gators tallied back-to-back kills.  At the mid-way point the set remained a nine-point deficit in favor of the Gators. Sage was able to couple consecutive scores to hold a 23-12 advantage en route to a 25-12 victory.

Kevin Carges (JR/Brockport, NY) scored nine kills for Purchase while Damerell added another seven.   Matthew McCarthy (SRFayetteville, NY) and Kubisch contributed another three digs each with McCarthy hitting a .750 clip.
 
Junior setter Andrew Schwab (Merrick, NY) dished out 17 assists. Defensively, McCarthy notched a team-best seven digs as Damerell and Christopher Williams (SO/Valley Stream, NY) added a block each.

Sage received a match-high 10-kill effort from both Ryan Gyton and Cecchi.

Purchase concludes its season that saw the Panthers earn multiple program-bests, including most wins (12, 6 SKY) in regular season action since 2009.