Sonoma State University & Northeastern University

By: Isabella Buoncristiani'28

The Men's Club Volleyball team were nomads this past weekend as they traveled across the Bay Area for two away games. The first match was against the Sonoma State Seawolves on Friday and on Sunday they visited Northeastern University Huskies. The Gaels have been on a solid streak of efficient teamwork and coherent communication. 

Sonoma State-

Setting the tone early on in the match was Joey Sabbah '28 and Will Barsotti '29. These middles were highly productive at the net with a hefty blocking presence that effectively slowed the opposing offense down. Sabbah and Barsotti were also essential players on offense as both contributed well-timed kills and kept the high momentum going throughout the game. 

Picking up and running with this momentum were MVP players Logan Milestone '27 and Andrew Carney '27. Their strong connection on the court led to consistent offensive success. They were tremendous leaders on racking up points for the Gaels. Gustavo Varela '28 accompanied Carney at the service line and together they were triumphant at applying constant pressure which resulted in the Seawolves rhythm being thrown off balance. 

Rounding off into the last set, the Gaels were still in the lead. Dillon Rockwell '26 was an indispensable contributing factor to this advantage. His performance on defense was outstanding, as he kept numerous balls in play, extended rallies, and anchored the back row of his team. When the final buzzer sounded, the Gaels were jubilant in their well-earned 3-0 win. This win was underlined by durable teamwork and consistent execution throughout all the phases of the game. 

Northeastern-

Moving down into Oakland, the Gaels visited the Northeastern Huskies. Coming off of their triumphant high on Friday night against the Seawolves, the Gaels felt pretty confident in their abilities to obtain another win for their season record. 

Gustavo Varela '28 and Dillon Rockwell '26 were once again rock stars on the court with steady defense throughout each set of the game. Both combined their talents to cultivate accurate passing and disciplined back-row defense. In addition to this, they were able to control the first-contact of the ball which resulted in the Gael offense to streamline productivity, keeping them calm, cool, and collected during longer rallies. 

Middle blocker Joey Sabbah '28 and setter Ryan Geissberger '28 teamed up to create strong impacts at the net, disputing the Huskies offense with multiple well-timed blocks. This prevented the Huskies from tallying up points, which swung the pendulum in the Gaels' favor. The pendulum stayed on our side thanks to James Fleischman '28, who was a crucial key in delivering aggressive and reliable serves that created a plethora of scoring opportunities. 

The fourth and final set arrived, the Gaels still having the lead over their opponents. Jimmy Cronin '28 closed out this concluding set with an offense charge that secured numerous points on the scoreboard. The Gaels pocketed yet another victory, winning 3-1 against Northeastern. These men felt they did a lot of things right this weekend, especially having dazzling defense and remarkable rallies. There is always room to grow, and this team will be directing their attention to becoming more consistent on the court for their upcoming tournament. 

The Gaels will be participating in the UC Davis Far Westerns Tournament this Saturday (Feb.14th) and Sunday (Feb.15th) in Davis, CA. Be sure to wish them the best of luck!