FRANKLIN, Mass. – February 12, 2022 – The Dean College men's volleyball team dropped a pair of matches to Northern Vermont University-Johnson on Saturday afternoon. The Badgers won 3-0 (25-16, 25-14, 25-16) and 3-1 (28-26, 20-25, 25-12, 25-19).

Dean falls to 0-5 in the first month of the season. The Bulldogs will play their first ever Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) match on Wednesday when they welcome Rivier to Pieri Gymnasium for a 7 p.m. first serve. NVU-Johnson evens its record to 3-3. The Badgers will host Colby-Sawyer on Friday at 7 p.m.

NVU-Johnson 3, Dean 0 – 25-16, 25-14, 25-16

NVU-Johnson junior Zachary Anderson (Sister, Ore.) led all players with 17 kills on .400 hitting. Sophomore Eli Harden (Artesia, N.M.) ran the offense with 24 assists. Freshman Martin Paul added seven aces.

Dean was led by freshman Rodrigo Monteiro (Praia, Cape Verde). He posted six kills, five digs and a couple of aces. Junior Nicholas Carlson (Warwick, R.I.) contributed three kills.

NVU-Johnson 3, Dean 1 – 28-26, 20-25, 25-12, 25-19

Dean jumped out to a 13-5 lead behind strong serving from junior Diego Harrington (North Kingstown, R.I.). The Badgers then began to chip away and erased the deficit to tie the set at 20-20 with a Wyatt Moberg kill. NVU-Johnson went on top 25-24, but a Monteiro kill brought the Bulldogs even. Monteiro would then tie it again at 26-26, but the Badgers received kills by Anderson and Moberg to win the set 28-26.

The Bulldogs trailed 7-3 before junior Jake Kelley (Westminster, Mass.) stepped to the service line and guided Dean to take a 9-7 lead. The Bulldogs then held an 18-14 lead after a Monteiro ace that forced a Badgers timeout. An Aaron Fonseca (Cranston, R.I.) ace later gave Dean a 22-18 to force another timeout. Dean closed out the set, 25-20, on a kill by Christian Sayue (Providence, R.I.).

The visitors took a 14-7 lead to force a Dean timeout. NVU-Johnson would cruise to a 25-12 win and take a 2-1 lead in the match.

NVU-Johnson got out to a 7-2 advantage to make the Bulldogs call a timeout. Trailing 9-4, the Bulldogs used a 4-0 spurt, capped by a Sayue kill, to result in a timeout. Leading 12-11, the Badgers went on an 8-2 run to create separation en route to the 25-19 fourth-set victory.

Anderson paced the Badgers once again with a match best 21 kills. He added 11 digs. Moberg finished with 14 kills and 11 digs.

Sayue and Monteiro led Dean with six kills apiece. Monteiro added two blocks, while Sayue hit .364.