Purchase, NY
(Feb. 4, 2016) – Purchase and the City College of New York played a five-set thriller Thursday night, with each program trading sets and comebacks before the host Panthers had the final say in the deciding game for a heart pounding 3-2 win.
Purchase opened with a comfortable 25-16 win in the first set, but the Beavers showed their mettle in an exciting non-conference matchup, rallying for a narrow 25-23 decision in the second set. Sticking to the see-saw script, Purchase won the third set 25-20, despite another solid effort from the visitors. CCNY would not go quietly, surviving an incredible marathon of a fourth set that neither side seemed able to clinch. Both teams traded ties and rallies in an eventual 31-29 win for CCNY.
With the match tied at two sets apiece, the Panthers fell behind early in the fifth, but rallied one last time in a back-and-forth affair for the 20-18 win that sealed the match victory – the team's second of the season. Purchase improved to 2-0 at home and 2-4 on the season, as the Panthers are gearing up for their approaching conference schedule.
Feisty CCNY is now 0-3.
The match took two hours and 15 minutes to play. Both teams left the proverbial every ounce of effort on the floor.
Kevin Carges (JR/Brockport, NY) paced Purchase with 18 kills, six blocks and 26 digs in a tremendous all-around effort. He was followed by
Riley Damerell (JR/Rochester, NY), who tallied eight kills, three aces and 25 assists.
Andrew Schwab (JR/Merrick, NY) added seven kills, two aces, three blocks and 18 digs. The trio led Purchase to the win.
Matthew McCarthy (SR/Fayetteville, NY),
Austin Lynch (FR/Verona, NY),
Luke Kubisch (FR/Delmar, NY),
Christopher Williams (SO/Valley Stream, NY) and
Griffin Rapp (SO/Rochester, NY) also played well in the exciting victory before the home crowd.
Sebastjano Aga totaled 16 kills to lead CCNY in the loss.
Purchase, which had dropped four straight coming in, will look to build off its victory next time out on Feb. 6 at Ramapo College, where the Panthers will face the Roadrunners and Bard College in a tri-match. Ramapo will be Purchase's first conference opponent of the season.
