MIDDLESEX TOPS UNION IN MENS VOLLEYBALL REGION 19 SEMIS, ADVANCES TO FINALS TO FACE #1 OCEAN
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Union County College | 20 | 13 | 27 | 23 | 1 |
|
Middlesex College | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
Middlesex College Men's Volleyball beat Union College for the fourth time this season, but this time there was much more at stake.
The Colts win against the Owls came in the NJCAA Region XIX Division III Men's Volleyball Tournament and advanced Middlesex to the tournament finals against top-seeded Ocean CC on Saturday at 1pm.
Middlesex (9-8) won the first two sets by scores of 25-20 and 25-13 before falling 27-25 in the third. The Colts took the fourth set 25-23 to nail down the win. Union fell to 5-18 on the season.
Second-seeded Middlesex and #3 Union (5-18) battled closely in the first set and the Colts carried a slim 16-15 lead before starting to separate from the Owls. Middlesex went on an 8-4 run, capped by a Deivy Perez (Sophomore/Pert Amboy, NJ) kill to set up match point.
After a point by Union, Tyler Ryan (Sophomore/Port Reading, NJ) squashed any chance of a comeback with a kill to clinch the first set for Middlesex.
In the second set, Middlesex built a 12-5 lead and wasn't really threatened from there. They extended their lead to double digits, leading 17-7 and 18-8, 19-9 and 20-10 on their way to a dominant win in the set.
The third set was a different story. Middlesex scored the first four points of the set before Union went on an 11-4 run to take a four-point lead. Union built a 16-12 lead and was the first to 20, opening a 20-15 lead as they looked to stay alive.
Middlesex went on a 7-3 run to tighten the set back up and with Union protecting a 23-22 lead, the conclusion of the set brought high drama. Middlesex hit a shot long to give Union their 24th point, but a Union error brought Middlesex back to within one point.
Union then hit a shot long which tied the set at 24 and a Clayton Davis (Freshman/Piscataway, NJ) gave Middlesex a 25-24 lead with a chance to close out the game and advance to the finals. However, a Union timeout and official's time out slowed the Colts momentum and an error tied the game back up. Union scored the next two point to stay alive for one more set.
Playing their 14th set against each other this season, the two teams again battled close as Middlesex held a slim 14-13 lead halfway through the set. The two teams remained close throughout the fourth set and with Middlesex holding a 24-23 lead, Union served into the net to give the Colts the final point of the match.