Elmira, NY— The Sage College men's volleyball team travelled to Elmira College on Saturday for the final United Volleyball Conference match of the season and then took on Wells College in a non-conference match. Elmira took the first match over the Gators, 3-0 (25-20, 25-18, 25-22). Against Wells, the Gators dropped a tight match, 25-17, 25-16, 25-20. Sage stands at 8-16 overall and went 1-8 in the UVC this year.
Against Elmira, junior Jarod Martel (Albany, NY/Colonie Central) added 11 kills and just missed a double-double with his nine digs. He had no receiving errors and collected 11.5 points in the match. Junior outside hitter Shane Wenz (Valatie, NY/Ichabod Crane) added nine kills with one seven digs and 10.5 points.
Junior Scott Sanders (Los Angeles, CA/Taft) picked up seven kills with two digs and three block assists for Sage, while sophomore co-captain Mike Basile (Feeding Hills, MA/Agawam) had two kills with five digs and block assists in the action. Sophomore setter Ryan Jennings (North Brunswick, NJ/North Brunswick Township) racked up 30 setting assists with one ace.
In the match with Wells, Sanders picked up 10 kills with a .318 attack percentage with a pair of block assists and two digs en route to his team-high 11.0 points. Basile contributed eight kills with seven digs and was 24-2 in receiving attempts for a .923 receiving percentage. Wenz added a team-best .714 attack percentage with his five kills and also had no receiving errors in six attempts with a block assist. Jennings had 19 setting assists to go with his one ace and a dig.
For the Gators, Wenz and Karl continue their climb in the Sage men's volleyball record book. Jennings surpassed his 1,000th career setting assist on Saturday and is now third with 1,037 career setting assists. Wenz is now third with his 168 career total blocks, while also ranking ninth now with his 384 career kills. Karl is currently sixth with 412 career kills, fifth in career aces (74), while standing sixth as well with his 133 career total blocks.
Sage returns to action on April 2 hosting Southern Vermont College in a 6 p.m. non-conference match at Kahl Gym in the home finale for the Gators.
