SPRINGFIELD, Massachusetts - Career nights by Jamilson Depina Almeida and Rian Woods were key as the American International College men's volleyball team swept D'Youville University, 27-25, 25-22, 25-21 in a nonconference matchup on Friday, February 13.

AIC is now 1-7 on the season.

Down 24-22 in the first, AIC was in a desperate moment early, but Emil Zhmaidziak came up clutch. He landed back-to-back kills off of feeds from Woods and then combined for a block with Connor White to give AIC a 25-24 lead. A service error briefly game the Saints life, but White scored a kill and then Zhmaidziak aced the following serve to put AIC up 1-0. Almeida notched six kills in that set, hitting .750, while Zhmaidziak had four in total and hit .571.

In the second, AIC quickly built up a big lead, and forced a Saints timeout after a Santana kill at 10-5. Though the Saints closed the gap and actually tied the set at 20-20, AIC was relentless, and blocks by Almeida and White in succession put AIC on the brink of a 2-0 lead. It was Almeida who then finished the set, slamming home a Fabian Lugo pass to give the Yellow Jackets a chance to sweep. 

The Saints played with desperation and kept the third even through 12-12, but a huge AIC run, keyed by four straight Robert Santana kills, including two on overpasses after Zhmaidziak served difficult-to-handle spins, pushed AIC to a six-point edge. The Saints never recovered, and it was appropriately Almeida who ended things, with a back-row kill off the Saints block on a feed by Woods on match point.

Almeida's 18 kills and .500 attack percentage were both career bests; Santana and Zhmaidziak each added nine kills. Woods likewise blew away his career best, dishing 31 assists, and barely missed a double-double as he tied Lugo with nine digs for a team best.

AIC goes right back to work on Sunday, February 15 at noon against Daemen University at Butova Gym.