Brooklyn, N.Y. - The St. Thomas Aquinas College Men's Volleyball team wrote yet another chapter in the program's short history on Tuesday evening. STAC scored a thrilling 3-2 upset road victory over Long Island University at the Steinberg Wellness Center in Brooklyn, New York.

STAC climbs back to the .500 mark at 6-6, while LIU slips to 8-3.

The Spartans and Sharks instant classic went the distance, as the maroon and gold took the first two sets, before LIU righted the ship and rallied for two straight victories to send the match to a deciding fifth set. A helter skelter final stanza had everything you could imagine; stellar play, video replay, a long delay, controversy, the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. However, STAC withstood all challenges that their hosts had thrown at them and finished the mission, taking the frame and the match. 

Set Results

Set 1: STAC 25/LIU 15

Set 2: STAC 25/LIU 20

Set 3: LIU 25/STAC 21

Set 4: LIU 25/STAC 19

Set 5: STAC 15/LIU 12

How it Happened

• As a team, STAC recorded 49 kills compared to LIU's 62. The Spartans also had 13 blocks and 46 assists, while the Sharks tallied 4 blocks and 56 assists.
• St. Thomas Aquinas College outhit Long Island University by a .252 to .237 margin for the match.
• Gabriel Vieira led the Spartans offense with a match-high 26 kills. He also had an assist, a service ace, a team-high 11 digs, a solo block and three block assists.
• Marcus Franck tallied 38 serve assists (7.6 assists/set). Franck also accumulated two kills, two service aces and six digs for the maroon and gold.
• Jannis Freude recorded seven kills, five digs a solo block and two block assists on the night.
• Kyran Versteegen registered five kills, a service ace, three digs and a block assist for the Spartans.
• David Weiss picked up four kills, three service aces, two digs, four solo blocks and three block assists for STAC on Tuesday.
• Sietse Pol put together a four kill and one solo block effort against the Sharks.
• Raoul Kerkdijk contributed to the evening's festivities by picking up a kill, scoring two service aces, scooping up a pair of digs and shutting down LIU's high-powered offensive attack with two block assists.
• Ivaylo Todorov accumulated six digs and 10 digs over five sets.

Up Next

STAC hosts Roberts Wesleyan University in the team's East Coast Conference opener on Saturday, February 22 at the Spartan Athletic Complex. First serve between the Spartans and Redhawks is scheduled for 12:00 p.m.