St. Joseph's University, (L.I.) Tri-Match

When and Where:

Records:

Results:

Key Players:

• Chris Sarnicola led the attack with eight kills on a .467 hitting percentage, plus 11 digs
• Shaun Mischler added six kills and six digs
• Declan Kerns contributed five kills (.333 pct) and two service aces
• Cole Violi finished with four kills (.500 pct), two service aces, and eight digs
• Dominic Ruggiero and Mason Aylward split setting duties effectively (18 and 14 assists, respectively)
• Connor Ruais anchored the back row with a team-high 14 digs

How it happened:

• Set 1 (25-11): St. Joseph's jumped out early behind balanced attacking and strong serving from Kerns (service ace) and Violi (service ace). The Golden Eagles capitalized on Sarah Lawrence errors, while Sarnicola and Mischler provided consistent kills. SJLI built a comfortable lead and closed it out efficiently
• Set 2 (25-5): The second set was completely one-sided. St. Joseph's exploded with near-flawless offense (.556 team pct, 15 kills, 0 errors) and continued serving pressure. Sarnicola, Mischler, Cantwell, and Kerns all contributed kills in long runs. The Golden Eagles raced to a massive advantage and cruised to the 20-point win.
• Set 3 (25-19): Sarah Lawrence showed more fight, led by Jack Cahill's eight kills, briefly tying the score at several points and pulling within one late. However, St. Joseph's responded with timely kills from Violi, Logan Meyer, Dylan Palmer, Ben Donahue, and Logan DeLumen, plus service points (including aces from Violi and DeLumen). The Golden Eagles pulled away in the closing stretch for the decisive victory.

Notes:

• St. Joseph's hit .225 as a team with 40 kills while limiting Sarah Lawrence to just 16 kills and a -.054 attack percentage.
• The Golden Eagles recorded 6 service aces (led by Kerns and Violi with 2 each) and an impressive 61 digs defensively.

Game Two:

Records:

Results:

Key Players:

• Shaun Mischler led the Golden Eagles with 15 kills on a strong .400 hitting percentage, plus two service aces, six digs, and four blocks (team-high)
• AJ Esposito added 11 kills (.348 pct) and three blocks 
• Chris Sarnicola contributed nine kills, 19 digs (team-high), one service ace, and two blocks
• Declan Kerns finished with 10 kills and six digs
• Dominic Ruggiero dished out a match-high 40 assists, plus two blocks
• Connor Ruais anchored defense with 15 digs

How it happened:

• Set 1 (25-18): St. Joseph's built an early edge with balanced attacking and timely blocks (4 team blocks in the set). Mischler and Kerns provided consistent kills, while service errors from Regis helped SJLI pull away. The Golden Eagles hit .222 and closed out the opener comfortably.
• Set 2 (19-25): Regis responded strongly, hitting .412 with 17 kills and minimal errors (only 3). Jalen Watt (16 kills overall) and Adam Bonica (16 kills) powered the Pride's offense, while St. Joseph's struggled with service issues and hitting dipped slightly. Regis evened the match with dominant play at the net and on the floor.
• Set 3 (25-21): The Golden Eagles regrouped, leaning on Mischler and Esposito for kills and improved blocking (3 team blocks). Defense tightened and service points from Violi helped SJLI regain control after a competitive middle set. They limited Regis to .077 hitting and secured the set win.
• Set 4 (28-26): A back-and-forth thriller featured 9 ties and 7 lead changes. Regis fought back late to force extras, powered by Watt and Bonica. However, St. Joseph's responded with clutch kills from Mischler, Esposito, and Kerns, plus key service aces (Violi and Mischler) and blocks. The Golden Eagles pulled away in the extended set to seal the match.

Notes:

• St. Joseph's hit .200 as a team with 46 kills, while Regis posted a solid .224 with 57 kills—but committed 19 service errors compared to SJLI's 9.
• The Golden Eagles recorded 5 service aces (led by Mischler and Violi with 2 each) and 10 total team blocks (Mischler with 4). Defensively, they tallied 56 digs.

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