POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y., March 17, 2023 – It does not count toward the season record or any standings, but the Monroe College Mustangs men's volleyball team gained some valuable experience on Friday in a matchup with the No. 2-ranked team in NCAA Division III, Vassar College. The Mustangs were competitive, but ultimately fell to the Brewers in three sets at Kenyon Hall.
 
The Mustangs found an early rhythm and managed to jump ahead in the first set, 10-6. After the Brewers used a timeout, the home team completely turned things around, going on a 13-1 run to take a 19-11 advantage on the Mustangs. The Mustangs continued to battle and stayed within an arm's reach of the Brewers, but ultimately could not complete a comeback and dropped the first set, 25-19.
 
The second frame was neck-and-neck early on, with the Mustangs staying within a point at 8-7. The Brewers turned on the heat from there with eight straight points to take a nine-point edge. Vassar's lead soon became insurmountable for the Mustangs, as the home team picked up a 25-12 win to go up 2-0 in the match.
 
Vassar ran out to a 9-2 lead over the Mustangs in the third frame, looking to end the match quickly. The Mustangs kept fighting, getting back within four points after a 4-1 run, but the Brewers pushed right back to take a big lead. Vassar eventually finished things up with a 25-15 score to claim the match in three.
 
Joan Galmes and Joe Kieler matched for a team-high eight kills in the match. Timothy Reyes dished out 15 assists and had three kills and three digs of his own. Moises Jimenez picked up seven digs to lead the team. Israel Alonge and Noah Liousfi shared a block in the match. Aoki Lopez Fujikawa and Michael Pena each registered a service ace.
 
The Mustangs get back to NJCAA action next Saturday, March 25, in the final home match of the season for the Mustangs. Monroe will host Union College at the Monroe Athletic Complex, beginning at 6 p.m.
 
ABOUT THE ATHLETIC PROGRAM AT MONROE COLLEGE
The athletic program at Monroe College encompasses a total of 35 teams competing across nine sports. There are 21 varsity and junior varsity programs, as well the Monroe College marching band and the newly added esports and men's volleyball programs, competing on the New Rochelle campus as the Mustangs (NJCAA Division I). The Monroe Express, based out of the Bronx campus, has 11 teams competing at the NJCAA Division III level.
 
For more information about the Monroe Mustangs, please visit us at www.MonroeCollegeMustangs.com or follow us on social media: Facebook (Monroe Mustangs Athletics), Twitter (@Monroe_Mustangs) and Instagram (@monroemustangs).