sports news Men’s Volleyball’s Upset Over No. 7 MIT an Early Season Highlight Young Saints Led by Defending GNAC Rookie of the Year
ers, led by co-captain and defending Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Rookie of the Year Michael Townsend ’10, whose approach has had a positive effect on all those around him.
It says something about the potential of a young team that can walk into a game against a nationally ranked opponent and hold its ground. It says even more when that team pulls out an upset win.
“He has the attitude like nothing is going to stop him, but at the same time he remains as humble as possible,” said Wright. “He has one of the deadliest serves in all of Division III in my opinion and his work ethic sets an example for the rest of the team.”
For men’s volleyball Head Coach Chris Wright, his squad’s January 22nd stunner over No. 7 MIT provided a glimpse into the prospective capabilities of a 14-player unit that features just three upperclassmen. Emmanuel upended the visiting Engineers in five games, winning the first two games by scores of 30-27 and 30-18, respectively, and ultimately fending off its opponent’s late surge to claim victory in the deciding game, 20-18.
Also in the mix for the Saints is setter Taylor Lowe ’10, who has established himself as the team’s “quarterback” on the court, according to his coach. Newcomers Curtis Abram ’11 and Keoni Rabaino ’11 have also been turning some heads so far this season, each playing especially well in the game against MIT. Curtis, who had been named NECVA-New England Rookie of the Week prior to the contest, led the Saints with 19 kills and 15 digs, while the quick-learning Rabaino added 12 kills of his own.
“The guys came out focused and fired up to play and they performed extremely well under pressure,” said Wright. “The first two games were a good indicator of how we were able to handle the intensity of the match, but when it came to the third game, we reverted to being a little more tentative. Luckily, we found our groove again in the final game and finished successfully.”
“He’s only been playing for three years so he is learning everyday,” said Wright of Rabaino. “When he is on, he is unstoppable. As he learns the game more he will be someone to fear for the next three seasons.”
Although the Saints followed the monumental win with their first loss of the season at the hands of Lasell College four days later, neither Wright nor his players let the loss negatively influence their goals for the season. In fact, according to the coach, he was glad the loss came at the time it did.
Although the Saints dropped their January 29th game against Elms College in five sets, they rebounded with a decisive 3-0 victory over Wentworth on February 2nd to improve their record to 4-2. Townsend had a team-high 12 kills along with seven digs, while Stephen Keeney ’11 added 11 kills and 9 digs of his own.
“I felt like we needed it to get us focused on the task ahead,” he said. “We did not work our game plan and a lot of things went wrong. I would rather we have a loss like this early on in the season instead of later.” Offensively, the Saints lineup this year features a potent mix of talented play-
With the MIT Invitational Tournament on February 9th up next on their schedule, the Saints will look for another chance to surprise the Engineers with a tough battle. Veteran leadership from players like Sophanna Lout ’08, top, and co-captain Michael Townsend ’10, is vital to a Saints’ team that features only three upperclassmen.
“The tournament is going to be a fun challenge for us,” said Wright.
Men’s Basketball Squad Off to Great Start; Team to Beat in GNAC Heading into the final stretch of the regular season, the Emmanuel men’s basketball squad has solidified its spot among the elite teams in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC). After a thrilling buzzer-beating 76-75 win over Emerson College on January 26th, the Saints earned themselves a spot atop the conference leader board, having since improved their GNAC record to 12-1 after recent wins over Albertus Magnus, Rivier and Norwich. So far, Head Coach Jamahl Jackson has certainly liked what he has seen from his group of players.
“I always know that the team will improve as the season progresses, but I have been impressed with Williams-Hinton the camaraderie of this group since early on,” he said. “The unity is stronger than I have ever seen and the guys are really enjoying the moment, taking it one game at a time and having fun playing together.”
Entering the contest against Emerson, both teams had suffered just one conference loss apiece, each falling to Norwich University. Despite jumping out front in the first few minutes of play, the Saints found themselves constantly tested against the scrappy Lions squad, trailing for 29 of the total 40 minutes of game time while exchanging the lead eight different times. Heroics from tri-captain Rob Williams-Hinton ’09, who according to his coach has been playing like the best player in the conference this season “hands down,” ultimately proved the difference in the game,
with his deep three-pointer in the final seconds providing the final blow in an exciting clash of two of the league’s finest. “Rob just made a spectacular play,” said Jackson. “We got him the ball where we wanted to, but he had to be great to hit the shot. It was perfect form. He made a 28-footer look like a routine jump shot and the entire place just went crazy. It was what college basketball is all about.” While Williams-Hinton’s emergence has been instrumental in the ...CONTINUED ON PAGE 7