Albany, NY – The Sage Colleges' men's volleyball team continues to earn acclaim and recognition for its success on the 2013 campaign. The Gators stand at 22-6 and had two players recognized by the Skyline Conference with the release of the weekly honors.
Sage's senior setter Kyle Ray (Horseheads, NY/Horseheads) was named the Skyline Conference Co-Player of the Week, while sophomore outside Andy Fishman (Cornwallville, NY/ Cairo-Durham) earned seventh Skyline Conference Rookie of the Week posting.
Ray had a strong performance last week as the Gators went 4-1 and had the program's first victory over a Division I opponent, Rutgers-Newark. Ray handed out 221 setting assists last week with 29 digs. He surpassed the 2,500 career setting assists mark as he now has 2,527 setting assists. He also boasts 338 career kills with 642 digs. The selection as the league's co-player was his second selection of the season. Overall on the year, he has a personal-best and Sage single-season 921 setting assists. He now has 2,527 career setting assists with his 338 kills and 642 digs. He is closing in on achieving his 1,000 setting assist of the season, a feat he could achieve this weekend. Ray ranks No. 16 nationally with his 9.4 setting assists per set average.
Fishman still ranks as the national ace leader, marking the fifth week he has stood atop the NCAA Division III rankings. He now has 72 aces and 280 kills to lead Sage. He has a .273 hitting percentage as well in 83 sets played. He also has 138 digs with 25 total blocks. He ranks No. 1 with his 0.87 aces per set average, while also ranking No. 6 in points per set average (4.44), while standing No. 16 in kills per set (3.37).
Junior Connor Thompson (Delmar, NY/Christian Brothers Academy) ranks No. 16 in blocks per set this season (0.97) and has a team-best 74 total blocks this season with 129 kills and 21 digs in 76 sets played. He also ranks No. 29 in hitting percentage as well with a .318 average. He has elevated his career resume to include 327 kills with 213 total blocks in 254 sets played.
Junior outside Dylan Krowicki (Little Falls, NY/Little Falls) ranks in aces per set and hitting percentage. Krowicki is No. 45 in aces per set (0.36). On the 2013 season, he has a .273 attack percentage in 99 sets played this season. He is also averaging 2.71 kills per set with 268 on the season. He leads the team with his 187 digs and has 36 aces with 56 total blocks. He has surpassed the 500 career kill plateau as he has 586 kills with 375 digs and 85 total blocks. He also has 50 career aces in 193 sets played.
Sage's senior middle hitter Spencer Hilland (Slingerlands, NY/Bethlehem Central) ranks No. 36 in blocks per set (0.81) and No. 50 in digs per set (2.07). On the season, he has 222 kills with a 0.292 attack percentage. He has added 27 aces with 73 total blocks and 186 digs. He sports an impressive career resume that now has 779 career kills (No. 1) with 478 digs (No. 2), while adding 221 total blocks (No. 1) at Sage.
A big week awaits the Gators with a match on April 3 at No. 10 ranked Vassar at 7 p.m., followed by a Skyline Conference match at the College of Mt. St. Vincent at 7 p.m. on April 4. The busy week wraps with the Gators facing Purchase College and Ramapo College on Saturday in a Skyline quad match to be held at Purchase on April 6 with contests at 10 a.m. and noon.
