JOHNSON, VT - The Northern Vermont University-Johnson Badgers men's volleyball team fell 3-2 in their second match of the day versus the Gators of Pine Manor College on Saturday afternoon at Carter Gymnasium.
The Badgers were led by Austin Walters (Grantham, MA) with seven kills in the match. Johnson also received five kills and 14 digs from freshman Wyatt Moberg (Acton, MA)
Back and forth throughout early action, Pine Manor eventually pulled away after capitalizing on a slow offensive start by the Badgers. The Gators walked away with the first set 25-13 before Johnson fought back in the second set. In a set marked by 13 ties overall, the Badgers bounced back and put the pressure on Pine Manor but it was the Gators who emerged with the 26-24 set victory and early 2-0 advantage.
The Badgers fought their way out of an early scoring slump in the third set, forcing the tie at 16-16 after a service ace by Moberg. Johnson capitalized on errors by the Gators and had a strong finish in the third set, taking the set 25-17 and forcing a fourth set.
Tied at 15 in the fourth set, Johnson put the pressure on the Gators with kills by seniors Nicholas Audet (Morrisville, VT) and Austin Walters. A final kill by Moberg and assist by Audet sealed the fourth set and a 25-19 set win for the Badgers as they forced the teams to go to a fifth and final set to decide the winner for the second straight match.
The Gators jumped out to an early 6-2 advantage in the fifth set before the Badgers fought their way back into another 9-9 tie. Johnson's rally fell short as Pine Manor regained their composure and closed out the match on a 6-1 run to seal a 3-2 victory over the Badgers.