Release courtesy of Pratt Athletics
BROOKLYN – Pratt Institute clinched a share of first place in the Hudson Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play with a 3-1 win over Webb Institute Thursday night at the Pratt ARC.
Reigning HVIAC Player of the Week David Cutler led all players with 17 kills and seven service aces to go along with 19 digs. On Senior Night, Meijun Cai totaled 17 digs and Alex Arsovski followed with 16 in their home farewells as the Cannoneers improved to 8-5 overall and finish league play tied for first place at 4-2.
For Webb, Cody Owen logged a double-double of 15 assists and 14 digs, and Nolan Conway led the team with 11 kills.
The teams exchanged leads and broke several ties throughout the early going of the opening set before a Connan Moody service ace extended Pratt's lead to 17-14. Sparked by a Conway kill, Webb answered with five straight points to swing the momentum in its favor at 19-17. The lead held only temporarily, as Moody's kill snapped a 22-22 tie, and an Arsovski kill later closed out the Cannoneers 25-23 victory.
Pratt's momentum carried over into the second set, as Cutler's kill opened up a 4-1 lead, but the lead held only for so long. Three straight Cannoneers errors helped Webb close out a 9-2 run that put the Webbies on top 13-10, and Brian Mills' solo block later upped the lead to 17-11 before Pratt retook command.
A pair of Cutler service aces sparked a 7-0 run that swung the Cannoneers on top 18-17, but with the game tied at 22-22, errors on Pratt setters Chris Fantin and Brandon Ryan provided Webb some much-needed space. Facing game point, Mills again delivered defensively, blocking Cutler's attack for the 25-22 win.
Two Cutler kills and an Arsovski ace put Pratt on top 4-0 to open Game 3. Back-to-back aces from the HVIAC Player of the Week helped seal a 6-0 run that upped Pratt's lead to 12-4, and a Matthew Valentine kill helped fend off a Webb rally and increase Pratt's lead to 19-15. With Webb within three, two consecutive Cutler kills put to rest any idea of a visitors comeback a closed out a 25-20 victory.
A Cutler ace snapped a 5-5 tie early in Game 4, and the sophomore paired with Valentine for a block assist that later broke an 11-11 tie. Clinging to a 13-12 lead, three straight Webb attack errors capped a string in which Pratt scored nine of 12 in going on top 22-15, and a Mills attack error handed the Cannoneers a 25-20 Game 4 win.
On the night, Webb (1-4, 1-4 HVIAC) was held to an .033 attack percentage, while the hosts hit just .058.
Prior to the match, Pratt honored seniors Arsovski and Meijun Cai. Arsovski eclipsed the 200-dig and 100-kill plateaus on Senior Night, while Cai entered the night with 151 digs after serving as the team's primary libero the last two seasons.
At 8-5 overall, the Cannoneers return to the court April 11 in non-conference play at Cooper Union.
