BOSTON – On the final day of the regular season, Emmanuel men's volleyball split a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) tri-match at Emerson on Saturday, sweeping the host Lions 3-0 (25-10, 25-15, 25-13) before falling in straight sets to Rivier (25-21, 26-24, 25-22). The Saints had already secured the No. 3 seed in next week's GNAC Tournament and now turn their attention to a conference quarterfinal at home on Tuesday evening.

Saturday's results close out Emmanuel's regular season with an 18-11 overall record and a 10-4 mark in GNAC play. The .714 conference winning percentage is the Saints' best since 2013, when they finished 12-2 and reached the GNAC Championship match before falling to Rivier.

MATCH ONE: Emmanuel 3 - Emerson 0 (25-10, 25-15, 25-13)
In the opening match, a four-point burst with the score knotted at three gave the Saints some early breathing room. Leading by five later in the set, a 5-0 run that featured kills from senior Louis Da Silva and juniors Trey Guest and Michael Shelley, gave Emmanuel a 10-point cushion at 18-8. The Saints went on to score seven of the final nine points to take a 1-0 lead with a 25-10 first set victory.

Carrying momentum from the first set, Emmanuel opened the second frame by outscoring Emerson 8-2 to build an early lead. The Lions never got any closer than four points, with another 5-0 run, capped off by a pair of service aces from Shelley, extending the lead to 20-11. The Saints went on to close out the set at 25-15, taking a 2-0 advantage in the match.

Emmanuel got off to another strong start in the third set, scoring the first four points to take control early. The Saints added another 4-0 run later in the frame to extend the lead to 14-6. A service ace from  Guest tallied Emmanuel's 25th point, closing out the set at 25-13 and securing the 3-0 sweep.

Guest led the Saints' offense with a .400 hitting percentage and 10 kills, while Da Silva and senior Jyles Amirault each added six in the win. Emerson was led by junior Chase Fagen and sophomore Riley Goldman, who both contributed seven kills, while senior Bryson Beck finished with a match-high 16 assists in the loss.
 
MATCH TWO: Rivier 3 - Emmanuel 0 (25-21, 26-24, 25-22)
The first set of the afternoon match was filled with back-and-forth action, with neither team able to pull ahead by more than two points until the end. After a kill from first-year Nathan Sierra-Suan and an error from the Raiders put the Saints up 21-20, Rivier closed the set with a 5-0 run to secure the win. The surge, which included four kills and two from senior Bassam Awde, gave Rivier a 25-21 victory in the first set and a 1-0 match lead.

An early 4-0 run from Emmanuel put the Saints up 5-2, and they did not trail in the set until Rivier took an 18-17 advantage following a kill from first-year Cade Barron. After falling behind 22-19, the Saints fought back with another 4-0 run to lead at 23-22. The Raiders responded again, scoring four of the final five points to take the second set, 26-24, and go up 2-0 in the match.

The third set was another back-and-forth battle, with the score tied at 12 midway through. A service error from the Saints allowed Rivier to take the lead, and they held on for the remainder of the set. Despite a late three-point push from Emmanuel, Rivier closed out the match with a kill from first-year Cody Fitzpatrick, securing a 3-0 victory.

Junior Matthew McCloskey led the Rivier offense with 16 kills, while Barron fed the hitters with 31 assists. Sophomore Racine Camara contributed a match-high 13 digs in the win. For Emmanuel, sophomore Cayson Branconier recorded a season-high 10 kills in the loss.
 
UP NEXT:
Third-seeded Emmanuel will begin preparations for GNAC postseason action with a quarterfinal matchup scheduled for Tuesday at 6 PM on Andy Yosinoff Court against sixth-seeded Emerson.