FRANKLIN, Mass. – The Dean College men's volleyball team displayed a sensational effort but was ultimately defeated in their senior day showdown with Elms College on Saturday afternoon by a final score of 3-1. With the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) loss, the Bulldogs drop to 6-17 (0-6 GNAC), while the Blazers improved to 14-12 (2-3 GNAC).
 
Notables:
-Prior to the game, the Dean College Department of Athletics & Recreation honored the three seniors on the men's volleyball roster: Arthur Felicio (Saugus, Brazil), Jerney Price (San Antonio, Texas), and Hunter Armitage (Westerly, R.I.).
-It was also announced on Saturday that Felicio is now the program's all-time leader in kills and total points. Armitage is also the program's all-time leader in assists, DIGs, and service aces.

How it Happened:
-Dean came out strong in the opening set, with Antonio Varela (East Providence. R.I.) and Brandon Mimande (East Providence R.I.) leading the attack and Hunter Armitage (Westerly, R.I.) distributing effectively to keep the Bulldogs in front early.
-The Bulldogs kept the set close, forcing a 22-20 score. However, Elms scored three of the next five points to take a 1-0 match lead.
-Elms continued their valiant run in the second set, using a mid-set run to shift momentum. Meanwhile, Dean stayed competitive behind kills from Noah Allan (Windham, N.H.) and Varela.
-Mimande and Allan continued to provide offensive production, and Mason Rua (São Pedro do Sul, Portugal) contributed defensively to extend rallies and keep Dean within striking distance. Rua finished the match with his second-highest DIG total of the year (16).
-In the second set, the Bulldogs battled through several long rallies, with Armitage spreading the ball across multiple hitters and Varela delivering key points to keep the score close.
-Despite the effort, Elms capitalized on late-set opportunities to take control of the match. They now led 2-0.
-Dean showed resilience in the third set, with Mimande, Allan, and Varela combining for multiple kills as the Bulldogs attempted to force a fourth set. As a team, they forced 14 total kills while allowing just three errors in the set.
-Mimande secured the winning point in the third set and continued his impressive performance. By the end of this set, Mimande had already gained 16 kills. The first year's efforts kept the Bulldogs alive in the match, 2-1.
-The Bulldogs stayed within reach late, but Elms closed out the fourth to secure the 3–1 victory.
 
Standouts:
-Mimande (19 Kills, 41 Total Attempts, 2 Set Assists, Service Ace, 3 Total Blocks, 10 DIGs)
-Varela (10 Kills, 18 Total Attempts, 3 Total Blocks, 2 DIGs)
-Allan (9 Kills, 17 Total Attempts, 2 Total Blocks, 2 DIGs)
-Felicio (8 Kills, 30 Total Attempts, Service Ace, 5 DIGs)
-Rua (5 Set Assists, 16 DIGs)
 
Next Up:
-FINAL MATCH OF THE SEASON: Saturday, April 4^th, 11:00AM at Rivier University (GNAC Contest / Nashua, N.H.).
 
For Media Inquiries:
Brett Chaves
Sports Information Director, Dean College Athletics
(508) 541-1826
BChaves@dean.edu