Box Score The men's volleyball team posted a 3-0 (25-19, 25-22, 25-11) shutout victory over Mount Ida in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference contest on the road on Monday night.
Johnson & Wales was led by senior Shawn Kennedy (West Barnstable, Mass.), the reigning GNAC Player of the Week, with 13 kills and five digs. Junior Chris Espinola (Derry, N.H.) was also in double-figures for the Wildcats with 11 kills and four digs while junior J.J. Bessette (Coventry, R.I.) tallied 33 set assists with five digs and two kills in the victory.
James Ames paced Mount Ida with eight kills and five digs while Brady Rodriguez had nine set assists and four kills in the setback for the Mustangs.
In the first set, JWU held the slight 17-16 lead before running off four straight points, including a pair of service aces by freshman Aseah Thomas (St. Thomas, U.S.V.I.), to take the 21-16 advantage. The Wildcats then held on for the 25-19 victory.
The second set saw another back and forth battle through the early stages with the score tied 16-16 on a kill by Kennedy. JWU would not trail the rest of the set, capitalizing on several Mount Ida miscues down the stretch en route to the 25-22 win.
The Wildcats closed out the match with a commanding third set victory after racing out to a 10-3 lead on a kill by Thomas. JWU had its first double-digit lead of any set when a solo block by Kennedy gave the team a 16-6 advantage. The Wildcats then cruised to the 25-11 victory after hitting a remarkable .350 hitting percentage for the set.
With the win Johnson & Wales is now to 8-5 for the season and 2-1 in the GNAC while Mount Ida falls to 5-7 overall and 0-1 in league play. JWU will return to action on Wednesday, February 26th when they host Rivier for a Great Northeast Athletic Conference contest starting at 7:00 p.m.
