Press Releases

February 19, 1999
Southampton College Volleyball Tops Harvard; Program Kicks Off 10th Season

Senior Kevin Nelmes of N. Bellmore Notches 1,000th Career Kill for Colonials (4-4)

Contact:
Joe Dionisio
(516) 287 8313
Fax: (516) 283 4081

Southampton, NY -- The Southampton College men's volleyball team, which last month began its 10th intercollegiate season, defeated Harvard University on Feb. 14, bringing its overall record to 4-4.

The Colonials, who are 1-2 in the Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (EIVA), earned their wins against Eastern Mennonite, MIT, Vassar and Harvard, and lost to George Mason, Rutgers-Newark, New Jersey Tech and NYU.

Southampton's next home match is the Windmill Classic on Friday and Saturday, Feb. 26 and 27. Opponents will be Columbia Union, Hunter and Queens College.

Kevin Nelmes of North Bellmore, NY, registered his 1,000th career kill in the Feb. 8 match against NYU. The senior outside hitter, who shares the team captaincy, was an EIVA All Division II selection last year. He ranks fifth on the Colonials all-time list with 1067 kills.

"Kevin is a cornerstone of this year's team, so he's carrying the load for us," said Scott Gleason of Hampton Bays, who entered his 9th season as Colonials' head coach at 185-117 (.613). "He has done a good job of adjusting to his bigger role this season."

Nine players return to Southampton's 12-man roster. The seniors include: Nelmes; Chad Luckenbach of West Haven, CT, an outsider hitter; co-captain Matt Schwartz of Rochester, NY, a setter; and Andy Serwetnyk of Henrietta, NY, a setter.

Junior returnees are: C.J. Emanuelson of Easton, CT, a middle hitter; Chris Kies of Cheektowaga, NY, an outside hitter; and Mike Mielcarz of Langhorne, PA, an outside hitter.

The sophomore returnees are John Lenihan of Tinley Parl, IL, a setter; and Ben Hill of Midlothian, VA, a middle hitter.

Three newcomers join the Colonials: Jason Miller of Richardson, TX, an opposite/ outside hitter and the team's only freshman; John Tamashiro of Honolulu, HI, a junior outside hitter who transferred from the University of Hawaii; and Peter Wawrzyniak of Buffalo, NY a sophomore middle hitter.

Serving as assistant coach is Kevin Deslauriers of Southampton, who enters his sixth year with the team. Paul Kies of Cheektowaga, NY, debuts as student assistant coach after concluding his playing career with the team.

Last season, Southampton College compiled a 14-14 record (3-3 in conference). The team is a member of the EIVA, a conference that is unique in that it includes teams from Divisions I, II and III.

The Colonials, who debuted in 1990, have captured five various volleyball championships in just a decade.

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