Providence, RI – For the second time this week, the Johnson & Wales University men's volleyball team is wondering 'what if.' The Wildcats let a fourth-set lead slip away as they dropped a 3-1 (25-16, 25-19, 18-25, 25-22) decision to Rivier. JWU bounced back to beat Albertus Magnus 3-0 (25-16, 25-20, 25-17).

Rivier: 17-9, 7-3 GNAC
Albertus Magnus: 5-12, 0-10 GNAC
Johnson & Wales: 13-13, 5-5 GNAC 

JWU Statistical Leaders:
Brendan Baker: 10 Kills, 6 Digs, 4 Blocks – vs. Rivier
Alex Seda: 12 Kills, 8 Digs vs. Albertus / 9 Kills, 6 Digs vs. Rivier
Raheem Malone: 10 Kills vs. Albertus

Of Note:
After dropping the first set to Rivier, the Wildcats tied the second set, 18-18, on a Raiders' service error. RU took a 19-18 lead then Tyler Blank served five-straight points as the visitors went on to win the set, 25-19. Jackson Steigerwald (Penfield, NY) staked JWU to an 11-5 lead in the third set as JWU won 25-18.

From the service line, Cameron Ponce (San Jose, Calif.) Kyle MacKnight (East Northport, NY) and Raheem Malone (St. Thomas, USVI) helped JWU build an 11-4 lead in the fourth set. Rivier chipped away at the lead as Matt Heckler got a kill then went back to serve five-straight points to help RU tie the match, 21-21. A MacKnight kill stopped the run, but the Raiders won the last four points to claim the match.

Leading JWU's offense was Brendan Baker (Providence, RI) with 10 kills. Ponce topped 30 assists for the eighth time his year with 30 helpers. Alex Seda (San Juan, PR) added nine kills while hitting .381.

Rivier's serving was the difference as it kept Johnson & Wales from running its offense. The Wildcats hit .197, compared to .285 by the visitors. JWU had five more blocks than RU, 12-7, but was out-dug 60-39. Rivier had three players with double-digit kills, topped by Ian Wolski's 15. Heckler and Grant Andler added 14 each.

Johnson & Wales responded by sweeping Albertus Magnus. The Wildcats were tough at the net, blocking 12 balls while hitting .296 on offense and recording eight service errors. Conversely, the Falcons had two blocks, hit .014 and only recorded one ace.

A pair of Wildcats reached double-digit kills. Seda had another strong offensive game, recording 12 kills with eight digs while hitting .400.Malone tied a career-high with 10 kills and setter Jason Rhee (Aurora, Colo.) recorded 37 assists.

In between JWU matches, Rivier beat Alberts Magnus, 3-0 (25-12, 25-8, 25-15). The Raiders hit .550 with 12 service aces. Dashuan Graham had eight kills and setter Matt Lasance notched 37 assists.

Up Next:
Johnson & Wales plays its final home game of the regular season on Tuesday when they play host to Mount Ida at 7 p.m. JWU will honor the seven seniors on this year's team before the match.