MADISON, N.J. – The Drew University men's volleyball team swept Ramapo College 3-0, then rallied for a 3-2 victory over Eastern University to complete a tri-match sweep in Baldwin Gym Saturday afternoon.
 
Playing in the first match of the day, the Rangers (6-3) defeated the Roadrunners for the first time in team history, winning 25-15, 25-20, and 25-22. Then in the third and final contest of the afternoon, Drew rallied from a 2-1 deficit to beat the Eagles by scores of 25-12, 21-25, 23-25, 25-13, and 15-8.
 
The Rangers, off to their best start through nine matches in team history, set a team record with 17 blocks versus Eastern, surpassing the former standard of 15 set in a 3-1 victory at Bard College on Jan. 21, 2023. Also against Eastern, Drew served up 12 aces, which ranks eighth in program history.
 
Versus Ramapo, sophomore Matthew Adegbite paced Drew with 12 kills while making just one error on 23 swings for a .478 hitting performance. Sophomore Gio Martin added 11 kills and hit .444 while classmate Quinn Donahue distributed 25 assists. Sophomore Eric Forget scooped 12 digs while senior Barend Oostdam and sophomore Michael Shipman notched three blocks each.
 
In the opening set, Drew used an early 8-2 run to take control of the match, turning a 6-6 tie into a 14-8 lead. The second set was also close early on, as the Rangers led just 13-12 before breaking it open with a 5-0 run.
 
Drew trailed 9-3 and 17-12 in the third set but caught fire late, ending the match on a 13-5 run. The Roadrunners led 22-21 before the Rangers scored the last four points, which included kills from Adegbite and Donahue and a match-clinching ace from senior Jason Barbosa.
 
Against Eastern, Adegbite led the way again, this time with 15 kills and eight digs, while Oostdam totaled a career-high-tying nine kills to go with eight digs – a mark that ranks second in school history behind a 10-block effort from C.J. Addeo C'25 in the aforementioned match versus Bard.
 
Martin contributed eight kills, eight digs, and a career-high five aces while Barbosa totaled eight kills and career-highs of 16 digs and four aces. Donahue pitched in with 45 assists, eight digs, and a career-high seven blocks, and Shipman contributed six kills and a career-high seven blocks. Forget added 11 digs.
 
It was all Drew in the opening set against Eastern, as the Rangers started on a 9-3 surge. Drew led 14-9 before a 7-0 Ranger run put it of reach. Barbosa fueled the surge with all four of his aces, including three in a row at one point.
 
Eastern rallied with a late 8-2 run in both the second and third sets after trailing 19-17 in the second and 21-17 in the third. In the fourth set, Drew took over with a 5-0 run that made it 15-7, and a 4-0 spurt late in the set gave the hosts an insurmountable 19-9 advantage.
 
The Rangers never trailed in the decisive set after opening on a 3-0 run, which was started by consecutive kills from Adegbite. Eastern scored the next three points before the Rangers answered with three points of their own, taking the lead for good.
 
The Eagles trailed just 9-6 before Drew pulled away yet again, this time with a 5-0 run that was sparked by a kill from Barbosa. Eastern scored the next two points before Oostdam provided the finishing touches with a kill.
 
The Rangers continue their season and wrap up a four-match homestand on Tuesday, when they take on Sarah Lawrence University in a non-conference affair starting at 7 p.m.