NEW YORK, N.Y.- The Hunter College men's volleyball team showed resilience and growth in its home opener on Tuesday night, pushing a nationally tested NYU squad in a four-set match Tuesday evening at the Hunter Sportsplex.
Hunter (1-1) dropped the opening two sets to the Violets (4-1), but responded with its strongest stretch of the night in the third, turning the momentum with a composed comeback to earn a 25-22 set victory. After trailing early, the Hawks settled into rhythm, tightened up defensively, and capitalized on extended rallies to pull away late and put pressure back on the visitors.
The Hawks were led offensively by Ahmed Mohamed, who finished with a team-high 13 kills while adding seven digs and four service aces. Sebastian Gomez chipped in seven kills, while Eddy Kang added six kills and contributed on both ends of the floor. Running the offense, Wesley Stubbs paced Hunter with a team-high 16 assists as the primary setter, while also posting seven digs to help stabilize the back row.
Defensively, libero Bradley Campos anchored the floor with a match-high 28 digs, keeping rallies alive and allowing Hunter to stay competitive throughout extended points. Lenny Arbitman contributed eight digs from the setter position, while K-Ci Akwandoh added a service ace and recorded three blocks at the net as part of Hunter's six total team blocks.
The fourth set continued to reflect Hunter's competitiveness, as the Hawks traded points throughout and stayed within striking distance against a high-level opponent before the visitors closed out the match, 25-20.
Despite the final scoreline, the match served as a strong measuring stick for Hunter early in the season. Playing in front of a loud home crowd, the Hawks demonstrated their ability to respond under pressure and compete point-for-point with top-tier programs as the season continues.
Hunter returns to the court on Jan. 31st as they head to St. Joseph's Long Island for a tri-match to take on Curry College at 12:30 p.m. following by the hosting Golden Eagles at 2 p.m.
