Endicott splits final March Mania matches
March 9, 2008
BEVERLY, Mass. - Endicott College went 1-1 in the "Silver Division" of the March Mania Tournament to earn a seventh place finish on Sunday afternoon in Beverly, Massachusetts. Saint Ambrose University, the fourth-ranked squad in the NAIA, won every game it played in en route to the tournament championship. The Fighting Bees defeated Nazareth College for the invitational crown.
Endicott opened day two with a showdown against No. 13 D'Youville in the "Silver Division." A win in game one slipped into three-straight losses for the Gulls, as the Spartans scored a 3-1 win with game scores of 24-30, 30-28, 30-27, and 30-21.
Endicott was once again led upfront by Jordan Durant (Honolulu, Hawaii) and A.J. Witkofsky (Scotia, N.Y.). Witkofsky posted a team-high 23 kills while Durant had 16. Ben Foster (Penfield, N.Y.) tallied 53 assists while Dan Coleman (Millis, Mass.) and Jeremy Hamel (Industry, Maine) had 17 and 16 digs, respectively.
Endicott College would go on to face SUNY New Paltz in their final match of the March Mania Tournament. The Gulls got off to a rocky start, losing the first game by a score of 30-28. EC would rebound, storming back to take the next three games straight by scores of 31-29, 30-24, and 30-23, earning them a 3-1 victory. With the win, Endicott finished the Tournament in seventh place, while the Hawks dropped to eighth.
The Gulls were led by A.J. Witkofsky (Scotia, N.Y./Burnt-Hills-Ballston Lake) who had 30 kills and 4.5 blocks, both team-highs. His 30 kills were the second most in school history during a four-game match. Witkofsky has been rewarded for his fine play by being named to the All-Tournament Team. Ben Foster (Penfield, N.Y./Penn) also had a historic day, as he set a school record for assists in a four-game match with 62. Dan Coleman (Millis, Mass./Millis) contributed a team-high 14 digs in the victory.
With the two-match split the Gulls overall record moves to 11-11, remaining 6-3 in the NECVA. Endicott will return to action Wednesday on the road versus Lasell College. Game time is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.
For final results, please click here
For the All-Tournament Team, please click here
For the top-10 statistical leaders from the tournament, please click here