CAMBRIDGE, MA – Lesley University fell to Elms College in New England Collegiate Conference men's volleyball play, 3-0 (25-11, 25-20, 25-21), Monday night.

     Blazers junior Yonalvy Acosta (Holyoke, MA/Holyoke) led all players with 12 kills, chipping in on the defensive end with 11 digs. Setter Daniel Lebron (San Juan, PR/Adianez) posted match-highs of 15 digs and 30 assists as Elms earned a fourth straight win, evening its record at .500 (7-7, 4-1 NECC).

     Lesley middle hitter Zach Almeida-Beers (Rehoboth, MA/Dighton-Rehoboth) enjoyed one of his finest games of the season, earning a match-best .474 hitting percentage, getting up for a team-best 10 kills on 19 attempts. In some of his first action at setter, freshman William Lau (Charlestown, MA/Boston Latin) totaled 24 assists to go along with 12 digs.

       Unlike the two that followed, the first match belonged almost entirely to the Blazers, as Elms started the night by jumping out to a 9-3 lead. Lesley scored two of the next three points on kills from Tyler Reeves (Coventry, CT/Coventry) and Christian Domingo (Los Angeles, CA/College of the Canyons), but Lesley was its own worst enemy from there on out, as a 9-1 run featuring six Lynx errors put Elms in front 20-6 in its 25-11 win.

     Elms opened up a 9-4 lead in Game 2 behind three early kills from Bryson Rainey (Brookline, MA/Brookline). As the Blazers did in the previous set, Lesley benefitted from the opposition's errors, as five straight Elms errors in a 7-0 run game Lesley a 12-11 lead.

     The Blazers 6-foot-7 hitter Acosta answered with three consecutive kills followed by a Lebron ace that put the visitors ahead 15-12. Clinging to a 21-20 lead after three straight Lynx points, Elms ended the match by scoring four straight to take a 25-20 victory.

     Like the first two sets, Elms jumped out to a comfortable early lead, this time 8-3. Trailing 13-20, Lesley used a 7-3 run with kills from three different players to get within three, 20-23. Lebron earned assists No. 29 and 30 as Elms scored two of
the last three in taking a 25-21 victory.

     Both teams will face Wentworth Institute of Technology when in action next, Lesley on Wednesday in Cambridge and Elms on Saturday in Boston.  
 
Short Box Score (Match)
Elms College vs Lesley University
(02/14/11 at Cambridge, MA)

Elms College def. Lesley University 25-11,25-20,25-21

Elms College (7-7 (4-1 NECC)) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Yonalvy
Acosta 12-1-3; Mike Kleckner 10-0-1; Mike Martin 8-2-0; Bryson Rainey
7-0-0; Josh Chagnon 2-1-0; Daniel Lebron 0-3-0; Totals 39-7-3.0.
(Assists) - Daniel Lebron 30. (Dig leaders) - Daniel Lebron 15;
Yonalvy Acosta 11; Josh Chagnon 9; Mike Kleckner 9

Lesley University (1-14 (0-6 NECC)) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Zach
Almeida-Beers 10-1-0; Christian Domingo 9-1-0; Tyler Reeves 5-0-0; 15
1-0-0; Max Hoevenaar 1-0-3; Brian Diah 0-1-1; Totals 26-3-4.0.
(Assists) - William Lau 24. (Dig leaders) - Stephen Siragusa 14;
William Lau 12; Tyler Reeves 8

Site: Cambridge, MA (Nicholas Ath. Center)