Vassar Men’s Volleyball Falls to Messiah in Straight Sets, Prepares for Russell Sage Match

Grantham, PA – The Vassar College Men’s Volleyball team suffered a straight-set defeat (19-25, 17-25, 22-25) against #6 Messiah University on Saturday afternoon, moving their overall record to 9-8. Messiah improved to 21-2 on the season with the victory.

First Set

Messiah started strong, building an early lead with kills from Alex Kagoro and Todd Snyder, reaching a 6-4 advantage. Vassar responded, tying the set at eight after a service ace from junior Walter Birnbaum. Consecutive kills from sophomore Henry Bonney and junior Armaan Desai gave the Brewers a brief 14-13 lead. However, Messiah regained control with a 17-14 lead fueled by Kagoro’s kills and an ace. Despite a kill from Bonney narrowing the gap to 18-16, Messiah closed out the set with a 4-point run, culminating in a kill from Kagoro at 25-19.

Second Set

The second set began competitively, with early kills from Bonney and Birnbaum tying the score at four. Messiah then pulled ahead to 9-6 with contributions from McConnell and Kagoro, including an ace from Sean Gillespie. Vassar battled back to tie at 12, thanks to kills from Birnbaum and Bonney, and a solo block from Desai. Bonney’s subsequent kills pushed the Brewers ahead 15-14, but Messiah responded with an eight-point run, led by blocks from Brandon Sharp and Snyder, to grab a commanding 22-15 lead. Messiah secured the set with a block from Sharp, Snyder, and McConnell, along with a McConnell kill.

Third Set

Messiah established an early 6-2 lead in the third set, capitalizing on kills from McConnell and Kagoro, and a block from Snyder. Vassar narrowed the deficit to 11-10, led by three kills and an ace from Bonney, along with a solo block from Desai. Kills from senior James Zuckerman and a block from Desai and sophomore Petar Miocinovic tied the set at 14. Messiah then pushed ahead to 17-14 with a kill from Snyder. Birnbaum and Zuckerman’s kills brought the score back to 20, but Messiah finished strong with two points, including the match-winning kill from Kagoro.

Key Performances for Vassar

Sophomore Henry Bonney led the Brewers with a team-high 12 kills (.364 hitting percentage), 10 digs, and an ace. Junior Armaan Desai contributed five kills and six blocks (three solo). Junior Walter Birnbaum added six kills and an ace, while senior James Zuckerman recorded two kills. Junior Parker Schoenl handed out 19 assists, and senior Casey McMenamin tallied six digs.

Messiah’s Standout Players

Alex Kagoro dominated for Messiah with a match-high 18 kills and seven digs. Tyler McConnell added 11 kills, two aces, six digs, and two blocks. Todd Snyder posted eight kills, four blocks, and three digs, while Jake Eby secured five kills and two blocks. Brandon Sharp totaled 40 assists, nine digs, and two blocks, and Tyler Good led the team with 10 digs.

Next Match

Vassar will resume competition on March 18th with a road match against Russell Sage College at 6:00 p.m. Empire 8 Schedule. Messiah is also idle until March 18th, when they will host MAC foe King’s (PA).