Men's Volleyball Sweeps Curry at Home

CHICOPEE, Mass. - The Elms College Men's Volleyball team hosted Curry College for a non-conference match on Tuesday evening at Picknelly Arena.

BASICS
Score: Elms College 3 (25, 29, 25) | Curry College 0 (15, 27, 15)
Records: Blazers 6-2, 0-0 (GNAC) | Colonels 2-3, 0-0 (NEVC)

HOW IT HAPPENED

The Blazers set the tone early, capitalizing on the Colonels errors to jump out to a 3-0 lead behind a service ace from first year David Dzhenzherukha (Agawam, Mass.) and an early kill from senior John Bellafronte (Enfield, Conn.). Elms continued to build momentum through the middle of the set, getting offensive contributions from across the lineup. Junior Nick Uschmann (Agawam, Mass.), first year Joe Culhane (Agawam, Mass.), and senior Rafa Artero (Madrid, Spain) each recorded kills during key stretches, while Elms' serving kept Curry out of system and led to several attack and setting errors. After the Colonels briefly pulled even at 10-10, the Blazers responded with an extended run, sparked by kills from Uschmann and Culhane and aided by additional Curry miscues at the net. The Blazers maintained control late in the frame as first year Juan Jones (Springfield, Mass.) and Bellafronte added points in transition, and Elms continued to pressure from the service line with aces from Dzhenzherukha, Uschmann, and Artero. The Blazers would close the set by scoring seven of the final nine points, using efficient attacking and opportunistic defense to secure the opening set, 25-15.

The Colonels would open the second set with an early lead, but Elms stayed within striking distance behind kills from Uschmann and Bellafronte, along with a service ace from sophomore Hunter Ladouceur (Wilbraham, Mass.) to even the score at 2-2. The Blazers began to gain momentum midway through the set, using strong blocking and timely swings to take an 11-9 lead. A solo block by Artero and Uschmann helped stall Curry's offense, while Culhane and Bellafronte continued to score in transition. Elms capitalized on the Colonels service and attack errors to stay close, but Curry answered with a run to regain control at 17-12, forcing an Elms timeout. Elms answered late, showing composure under pressure. Kills from Jones, Uschmann, Bellafronte, and Culhane fueled a rally as the Blazers erased the deficit and forced extra points. Back-to-back service aces from Uschmann and Artero gave Elms its first set point at 25-24, and after several sideouts, Elms sealed the set behind a late ace from Jones and consistent execution at the net to secure the 29-27 win.

Elms carried its momentum into the third set by opening the frame by forcing early the Colonels attack errors, including a pair of blocks by Artero and Uschmann, to take a 2-0 lead. Elms continued to control the tempo behind efficient swings from Culhane, Uschmann, and Jones, building a slim advantage through the opening points. After Curry briefly surged ahead, Elms responded with a decisive run midway through the set. Kills from Culhane and Bellafronte, combined with strong work at the net from Artero, helped the Blazers regain control and push the lead to 18-12. Elms capitalized on additional the Colonels attack and service errors, while Bellafronte added a service ace to extend the margin. The Blazers closed the match in dominant fashion, scoring eight of the final 10 points. Uschmann served two late aces, and Jones and Culhane finished key swings in transition to seal the third set, 25-15, and complete the sweep over Curry.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• Ladouceur - 29 assists, seven digs, and two service aces.

• Uschmann - ten kills, four service aces, four block assists, four digs, and an assist.

• Bousquet - ten digs and an assist.

• Culhane - nine kills, nine digs, and a block assist.

• Bellafronte - eight kills, eight digs, three service aces, and a block assist.

• Artero - six blocks, four digs, two kills, two service aces, and an assist.

• Jones - five kills, two service aces, two block assists, and a dig.

• Dzhenzherukhu - a service ace, a dig, and an assist.

UP NEXT: The Elms Men's Volleyball team will return to Picknelly Arena for a non-conference tri-match against Sarah Lawerence College and Dean College on Saturday, January 31st at 11 am and 3 pm.

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