Box Score 1 | Box Score 3 POTSDAM, N.Y.—The SUNY Potsdam men's volleyball team (3-1, 1-0 NEVC) defeated Bard College (4-7, 0-1 NEVC) 3-1 and Houghton University (1-8) 3-0 in a tri-match at Jerry Welsh Gymnasium on Saturday. Senior outside hitter Duncan Tenhagen (Buffalo, N.Y./West Seneca West) set the program's kills record during the first match and junior setter Alex Lombardo (East Hampton, N.Y./East Hampton) established the new program mark for assists. Graduate student middle hitter Matt Kilinski (Greenfield Center, N.Y./Saratoga Springs) became the third Bear to reach the 700-kill plateau.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED (BARD)

• The Bears led set one 8-7 before a 6-1 run gave them a 14-8 advantage. Potsdam held off the Raptors the rest of the way for a 25-19 win. Matt Kilinski, senior middle hitter Mike Kilinski (Greenfield Center, N.Y./Saratoga Sprints) and Tenhagen powered Potsdam with four kills apiece.
• Set two unfolded very similarly, with Potsdam pulling away mid-set for a 25-17 victory. Tenhagen recorded a kill to make it 15-9, the 712th of his career to set the program record. Tenhagen had five in the set, as did Mike Kilinski. Matt Kilinski added four more.
• Set three also started close, but with the Bears playing catch up early. A kill from freshman right side Brayden Kilinski (Greenfield Center, N.Y./Saratoga Springs) broke a 17-17 stalemate and started a 3-0 run. However, Bard rallied to capture the 25-22 win. Mike and Matt Kilinski each had three kills, while Tenhagen, Brayden Kilinski and junior middle hitter Jack Orrange (North Tonawanda, N.Y./North Tonawanda) had two each.
• The teams traded leads again in set four until it was knotted at 17-17. This time Potsdam closed out the set and the match with an 8-4 run to win 25-21. Tenhagen added another four kills to his total.

 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS (BARD)

• Tenhagen led the Bears with 16 kills and five digs. Mike Kilinski matched a career-high with 13 kills to go with two aces and four blocks. Matt Kilinski contributed 11 kills and six digs.
• Lombardo posted a season-high 43 assists, pushing him past Alec Roy '23 for the record.
• Freshman libero Rowan Root (Buffalo, N.Y./St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute) totaled 14 digs. Brayden Kilinski rounded out the leaders with five kills and six digs.  
• Sophomore outside hitter Ansel Waisler (Venice, Calif./Crossroad School for Arts and Sciences) had a match-best 29 kills as well as nine digs for Bard. Sophomore setter Pearse Esposito (Vernon, N.J./Sussex Country Technical School) recorded 37 assists for the visitors.
• Tenhagen surpassed Joe Zimmerman '23 for the kills record.

 
 
HOW IT HAPPENED (HOUGHTON)

• The Highlanders got within 8-6 early in set one, but the Bears raced away with a 17-9 run to claim the 25-15 victory. Matt Kilinski and freshman setter Shane Goldberg (Niskayuna, N.Y./Niskayuna) each had four kills and Tenhagen registered two.
• Potsdam opened set two 14-0 and never looked back in the 25-6 win. Matt Kilinski had four more kills, giving him 700 for his career.
• The Bears completed the sweep with a tightly contested 25-22 win in set three to close out the match. Tenhagen finished day with three more kills. Junior middle hitter Connor McGovern (Henrietta, N.Y./Rush-Henrietta) had two kills.

 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS (HOUGHTON)

• Matt Kilinski paced the Bears in the finale with nine kills and five digs. Tenhagen had another eight kills, extending his record to 728. Goldberg finished with a personal best eight assists, six kills and two blocks.
• Mike Kilinski had three aces and a block. Lombardo added 15 assists, nine digs and two aces, while Root had another five digs.
• Bard defeated Houghton (25-15, 25-17, 19-25, 23-25, 15-10) in the teams' head-to-head matchup.

 
WHAT'S NEXT?
The Bears are now off until Friday, February 20, when they hit the road for the first time. They take on Elmira College at 5 p.m.