RIVERDALE, N.Y. — D'Youville fell to Manhattan College in straight sets, 0-3, on Friday evening at Draddy Gymnasium. Despite the loss, D'Youville posted a team attack percentage of .260, with a total of 35 kills.

D'Youville opened the first set with a strong start, taking advantage of the Jaspers' early errors to establish a 2-0 lead. Jaden Webster (Rockford, Ill. / Guilford) and Ethan Robinson (Scarborough, Ontario / NeilMcNeil) contributed with kills, supported by Andrew Haber's (Whitby, Ontario / Brooklin) setting, to keep D'Youville ahead at 5-2. Despite some resistance from the Jaspers, D'Youville maintained its edge, with Luk Markwardt (Luebeck, Germany / Leibiz Gymnasium Bad Schwartau) and Ty Parker (Syracuse, N.Y. / Jamesville-Dewitt) delivering crucial kills as the score reached 8-6.

As the set progressed, D'Youville faced a challenge when the Jaspers tied the score multiple times, including at 23-23. Robinson's consistent performance, with several kills from Haber, helped D'Youville stay competitive. However, the Jaspers capitalized late with consecutive service aces to take the set 25-23, concluding the opening set with a narrow victory.

D'Youville opened the second set with a strong offensive surge, establishing an early 7-2 lead, highlighted by Markwardt's effective kills assisted by Haber. Despite service errors halting some momentum, D'Youville maintained pressure with Robinson contributing crucial points, reaching a 15-11 advantage. However, the Jaspers mounted a comeback, eventually tying the score at 16-16 and taking the lead. Despite late efforts from D'Youville, including a kill by Robinson, the Jaspers closed the set with a 25-22 victory.

D'Youville experienced an early momentum shift in the third set, taking a 4-2 lead after a series of successful plays, including a kill by Robinson and an attack error forced by Dempsey Ptaszkiewicz (Cincinnati, OH / Bishop Fenwick). Despite this strong start, the Jaspers countered with a run, regaining the lead at 7-6, and maintained their advantage with efficient scoring from Wojtek Nowak.

D'Youville managed to momentarily level the score at 10-10 with a kill by Webster, but the Jaspers' consistent service and attacking put them back in control. Although D'Youville continued to fight, narrowing the gap to 19-15 with points from Deeraj Varma (Gaithersburg, Md. / Quince Orchard) and Ptaszkiewicz, the Jaspers ultimately secured the set 25-18, concluding the match with their victory.

Robinson led the team with 12 kills and added four block assists, contributing to a total of 14 points. Markwardt followed closely, recording 11 kills and eight digs, amassing 11.5 points. Haber was pivotal in playmaking, distributing 28 assists over three sets. Varma showcased efficiency with a perfect hitting percentage, converting both of his attempts into kills.

Looking ahead, the D'Youville squad will face Manhattan University again on Saturday, March 21 at 1 p.m. in Riverdale, New York.