Springfield, M.A.- FDU's men's volleyball team swept their way to a victory Friday night in the first leg of a "home and home" with American International College, as they defeated the Yellow Jackets in straight sets.

 

How It Happened

It did not take long for Jack Lydon and Rui Fernandes to find their footing in the first set. Lydon put the pressure on the Yellow Jacket defense with five kills and Fernandes put his hitters in good positions as he had 10 first set assists. The Knights took the opening set 25-17.

In the second set, the Knights used an 18-5 run to create separation from American International. Despite the set being tied early at two, FDU eventually led 20-7. The Yellow Jackets fought back late but it was not enough as the Knights took the set 25-15. 

The third set played out much differently than the first two. It was the Yellow Jackets jumping out to a 7-2 lead and even with several pushes from the Knights, American International led through the majority of the set. Trailing 19-13, FDU flipped the switch and made a run of their own. They won 12 of the remaining 15 points and closed out the match with a 25-22 victory in the third set. 

The Knights totaled 34 kills and hit at a .238 clip in the win. Their defense also contributed with 41 digs and held the Yellow Jackets to a .021 hitting percentage. Artem Vetrov made his first official contest of the season a good one as he collected eight kills in the match. This was good enough to lead the Knights. Rui Fernandes finished the night with 25 assists.
 

What's Next

FDU will play host to American International tomorrow night at 6:00pm at Stratis Arena inside the Rothman Center.