BOSTON, Massachusetts - Pushed to the edge, the American International College men's volleyball team was the two points better it needed to be to win a nonconference matchup with Emerson College, 23-25, 25-21, 25-14, 23-25, 16-14, on Tuesday, March 25.

AIC is now 4-15 overall.

Though the Yellow Jackets rolled to an early 7-1 lead, the Lions took a timeout and regrouped, scoring eight of the next nine to lead 9-8. From there, both teams leveled out, keeping it close through to 23-23. Theo Hackett scored a kill for the Lions, and then came up with a block on set point to give the hosts the 1-0 lead.

The Lions took the momentum and built a 4-0 lead in the first, and expanded that quickly to 10-3, but in a mirror of the first set, AIC battled back, tying the set 12-12. Down the stretch, AIC was able to take the lead thanks to three straight Lions attack errors, and a Willie Lopez Morales kill followed by an Emil Zhmaidziak ace sealed the 25-21 set win to tie the match.

In the third, it was AIC starting with momentum, building to a 9-3 lead, but unlike the first two sets, there was no comeback. The Yellow Jackets kept building up their lead, and Lopez Morales and Zhmaidziak both took sets from Aidan Miller to slam home the final two points and grab a 2-1 lead with the 25-14 set score.

Both teams put in a strong effort in the fourth, with AIC looking to close out and the Lions hoping to survive, and the result was that neither side could pull away. AIC led 22-21 before three straight Emerson points gave the Lions a chance to win it, only to be denied as Lopez Morales and Zhmaidziak executed a combo block on Hackett. However, AIC's next serve hit the net, giving the Lions another 25-23 win and forcing a decisive fifth set.

AIC started with three of the first four points, but the Lions grabbed the next four to lead before back-to-back errors tied the contest again; the latter was a brilliant combo block by Connor White and Miller. The Lions were the first to eight, but Hector Garcia Quiros scored a kill after the side switch, and then stuffed a Hackett attack to put AIC up. The Yellow Jackets and Lions traded points back-and-forth, and though Hackett put down a kill when AIC had match point at 14-13, White countered on the next rally, and then he and Miller denied a Hackett attack back into the Lions backcourt to end the set 16-14 and with it the match in AIC's favor, 3-2.

Miller dished out 47 assists for the Yellow Jackets to go with four blocks, while Lopez Morales led with 16 kills and hit .375. Zhmaidziak scored nine kills and five blocks, while White posted nine and three; Garcia Quiros also put home 10 kills and Victor Alamo notched nine. Fabian Lugo made 12 digs in the win.

AIC returns to East Coast Conference action on Saturday, March 29 at noon against Saint Thomas Aquinas College. The Yellow Jackets will be hosting an AVCA Officials Appreciation Week game.