SPRINGFIELD, Mass., March 30, 2007 – Springfield College sophomore All-American Andy Sipe (New Oxford, Pa.) led all players with 17 points on 10 kills (.625 hitting percentage), a match-best eight blocks, and two service aces as the fourth-ranked Pride swept past the Chargers from the University of New Haven, 3-0 (30-21, 30-20, 30-23), this evening in Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (EIVA) Hay Division play at Blake Arena.

The match marked SC’s final home regular-season contest and improved the Pride to 17-7 overall on the season and 8-1 in the EIVA Hay. The Chargers drop to 7-12 overall on their campaign and 0-7 in EIVA Hay action. Right behind Sipe in points for SC was fellow sophomore All-American Ryan Fredrickson (Manahawkin, N.J.) with 16. The opposite tallied a team-high 12 kills, five blocks, and one service ace.

Other contributors for the Pride included junior libero Brandon Waas (Spencerport, N.Y.) and freshman outside hitter AJ Nally (Rochester, N.Y.) with eight digs apiece. Junior outside hitter Javier Rosario (San Juan, Puerto Rico) added eight kills in the victory, and first-year setter Eric Shoemaker (Mount Wolf, Pa.) registered a match-best 28 assists.

The University of New Haven was led by junior outside hitter Tommy Musto with a match-high 13 kills and nine digs. Freshman outside hitter Peter Kazlas recorded a team-best four blocks to go along with five kills, and sophomore setter Kevin Goncalves had 27 assists for the visitors.

SC next travels to the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) tomorrow evening (Mar. 31) for a 7:00 p.m. start in the Pride’s EIVA Hay regular-season finale. The Highlanders enter tomorrow’s match with a 7-1 EIVA Hay record, as SC heads to Newark, N.J., with an 8-1 EIVA Hay mark.

published: 03/30/2007